Agenda Text
title
In support of the ACES bill (H.2519/S.1552).
body
Official Text
WHEREAS: The Somerville City Council and the City of Somerville have committed since 2020 to reimagining public safety in a transformative and holistic way, with particular concern around policing; and
WHEREAS: The state and federal governments currently provide various grants for police departments to fund surveillance and increased interaction between law enforcement and the public; and
WHEREAS: People of color, low-income folks, people with disabilities, undocumented immigrants, and LGBTQ folks are disproportionately impacted by incarceration, detention, violence, and misconduct at the hands of police; and
WHEREAS: This Council believes that we should fund non-police mental health and substance use disorder services so that our neighbors who are struggling can receive support; and
WHEREAS: This Council believes that our community should join the growing list of municipalities in the Commonwealth such as Amherst and Northampton to fund proactive measures to provide care rather than incarceration to our neighbors so that they are less likely to turn to crimes of survival; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED: That this Council calls on our state legislature to pass bills H.2519 and S.1552 so that grants can be made available for transformative community care.