CSSJC to Advocate for Larger CRESS and DEI Budgets 

Report on the Meeting of the Amherst Community Safety and Social Justice Committee, March 11, 2026  

The meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.  

Present
Debora Ferreira (Co-Chair), Allegra Clark (Co-Chair), Everald Henry, Erica Piedade, Lissette Paredes. Two vacancies.

Staff: DEI Director Pamela Nolan Young and CRESS Project Manager Daniel Garcia 

At their March 11 meeting, the Community Safety and Social Justice Committee (CSSJC) reviewed a letter addressed to Town Manager Paul Bockelman and the Town Council advocating for Community Responders for Equity, Safety and Service (CRESS) to receive increased town funding, as Bockelman works to prepare Amherst’s budget for FY27.  

The letter, drafted by committee member Everald Henry, outlined the functions of CRESS as an alternative to policing, noting how other alternative public safety departments, such as those in Eugene, Oregon, and Denver, Colorado, have produced “significant cost savings compared with traditional police responses for non-violent and social-service-oriented calls.”

“I lean heavy on money, because one of the things we’ve heard from people is…budget, budget, budget…if your arguments for not properly funding CRESS [are] that we don’t have the funds, here are arguments of why you should spend the money, because overall, you are saving the town money…you are being fiscally responsible,” said Henry. 

The letter originally asked for funding to increase staffing to 10 responders in addition to hiring a new assistant director. However, the committee decided, with input from CRESS project manager Dan Garcia, to advocate for 13 responder positions so as to create six two-person teams with an alternate in case of illness. 

CRESS is currently operating out of the Bangs Community Center and is limited to the center’s operational hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The additional responder roles would accommodate a CRESS department with expanded hours of operation, something the CSSJC is also advocating for, although location was not mentioned in the letter. 

Debora Ferreira pointed out some phrases in the letter she felt were too conciliatory to the town  and Erica Piedade agreed to gather committee feedback and edit the letter to be submitted no later than Friday, March 20. 

Bockelman is set to present the budget to the town council on May 1, to be approved by the end of June. Earlier this year, the town was preparing for 18% increases in health insurance costs that are now projected to be only 8%. The CSSJC suggests in the letter that some of the funds originally earmarked for those costs be redistributed to CRESS. 

“You are going to have money that you were committed to spending, but now you don’t have to. So to argue that the funding is not there, again, is not really a sound argument because you were prepared to spend an 18% increase on healthcare costs, which we know is significant. Now you have that extra amount of money that you can allocate to CRESS,” Henry said.

Seeking Budget Increase for DEI
During the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion update, Ferreira also said that the CSSJC will advocate for the DEI department’s budget to be increased to fund the hiring of a full-time administrative assistant. 

DEI Director Pamela Nolan Young echoed that the lower-than-projected health insurance costs indicate the potential for level funding. 

Piedade added that, based on conversations at the March 8 District One meeting with councilors Jill Brevik and Cathy Schoen, some community members are concerned about the short window of time between the May budget presentation and June approval votes. 

“Everyone feels that May 1 is just too short of a time since the budget has to be passed by June. And that doesn’t really give people enough time to provide feedback. And so people aren’t really confident that anything will change beyond what’s being presented,” Lissette Paredes said. “When you look at the budget, it’s not very transparent. It’s all amalgamated, so you can’t see what departments are getting what…what the staffing is per what they’re asking for.” 

She added that there is a group, including Brevik, looking into the budget more closely. 

CRESS Updates:  
Newly hired project manager Dan Garcia discussed his work to increase public awareness of CRESS in Amherst. 

He has met with representatives from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst College, and Hampshire College to get the word out about CRESS. The department is currently in the process of hiring an intern from Amherst College. Garcia added that responders have been present at many local events including Winterfest, UMass Peace Walks, and the Morning Movement and Mentoring Program (MMP), as well as events at the Survival Center and the Unitarian Church. 

“We’re just trying to make sure we have a lot of positive outreach on what CRESS does, what our responsibilities are, and how we can help the community,” Garcia said

Following a question from Ferreira about the high number of transportation-related calls, Garcia clarified that some of those calls for transportation services come from neighbors CRESS has previously helped with mental health checks and that those calls are usually a “follow-up” to the original call for other forms of support. “We’re not trying to be like a taxi service. You know, these are legitimate.” 

Garcia added that he is working to raise awareness that CRESS was added to dispatch at the end of December 2025 and can be accessed by calling 911, while working toward cross-training with APD on which calls CRESS should receive. 

“People are going to need to feel comfortable and trust…that CRESS is the one that’s going to go out, because if not, people are not going to contact…dispatch and stuff like that because they’re still going to be very intimidated [by the police], you know, very afraid around it,” Ferreira said while echoing the need for training police. She also mentioned her own experiences with seeing a community member in distress and being unable to reach CRESS because it was after 4 p.m. Paredes shared a similar experience and reiterated the need for CRESS to have expanded operating hours. 

“This is the second time in the past few months that this has happened to me and I know that it’s happened to a whole bunch of other people in our town who aren’t able to call CRESS because of the budgeting issue. I just want to document again and very publicly say that CRESS hours need to be increased. The funding needs to be increased, because it’s ridiculous that the police have 24-7 and that CRESS has 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” Ferreira said. 

Garcia said that he is working on getting additional grant funding for CRESS, citing inadequate funding as a “serious issue” for the department. He added that although he has been in talks with the university and colleges about internship opportunities and training, there have been no discussion of the institutions financially contributing to the department. 

“It’s a great idea. I think if we’re working with them for their safety purposes, I think that’s something maybe we can create an ask like can we funnel some money through your safety protocols for support?” Garcia said. 

Due to renovations at the Bangs, CRESS and the DEI department will be temporarily relocated to the basement. 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Resident Oversight Board (ROB) Updates:
DEI Director Nolan Young said that the DEI department has completed all DEI trainings for town departments except for the Department of Public Works, Fire, and Town Hall. The department is also hosting an online event for Women’s History Month featuring the Women of Color Health Equity Collaborative on March 25, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

Nolan Young also reported that Bockelman had sent a letter to all department heads informing them that the Governance, Organization and Legislation Committee (GOL) is scheduled to report back to the town council on April 1 regarding which model for the Resident Oversight Board (ROB) they recommend be passed. The Community Safety Working Group (CSWG) has recommended that ROB independently monitor and investigate complaints against APD and CRESS. GOL will recommend either the review model or the investigatory model of the bylaw. 

At the meeting, the CSSJC voted unanimously to resend a letter previously only signed by Ferreira and Allegra Clark that reiterates the committee’s support for the investigatory model of the bylaw. 

“The review model does not recognize the fundamental perspective of the CSWG report, which emphasizes the right of BIPOC residents to carry out investigations,” the letter reads. 

The letter also expresses concerns about how pushback from the APD could affect which method of oversight is chosen. “Historically, opposition from law enforcement and their unions, as well as limitations imposed by relevant laws and collective bargaining agreements, has resulted in political compromises influencing an oversight system’s final form. We do not want to see a similar situation occur in Amherst.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Update: 
The CSSJC discussed the recent passage of a town council resolution  “Calling for Federal Immigration Agents to Be Held Accountable for Violations of Massachusetts Criminal Law,” and Bockelman’s executive order outlining town policies for municipal employees and the APD regarding ICE. 

Clark added that some councilors are looking to review Amherst’s sanctuary city bylaw “to make sure that the language is…as tight as it can be, and…has the best protection for people.” Ferreira also mentioned that the Human Rights Commission (HRC) is actively pursuing a public records request to determine whether there have been any interactions between APD and ICE. 

Piedade mentioned statements made by Brevik at the District One meeting regarding Chief Gabriel Ting and the APD’s potential response to ICE activity. 

“What she said was is that even though we have this resolution and executive order, that APD will not interfere with federal agents, said Piedade.“My clarification was, if I get stopped, because profiling is considered legal in America now, and I have the right not to get out of my car and there’s illegal behavior and I call 911, does that mean APD will not protect me? And what she said…is they will not interfere with federal agents. And that is absolutely horrifying.” 

Brevik clarified that on Feb. 18, she met with Ting, Captain Ronald Young, John Bonifaz, and At-Large councilor Andy Churchill. She says the group “offered Chief Ting and Captain Young an opportunity to suggest changes to the resolution that would make them more comfortable with it,” before the February 23 town council meeting. 

In an email to the Indy Brevik clarified: 

“Chief Ting expressed that he was opposed to the resolution in its entirety, and that he would not consider any recommendation for action unless it came as a direct order from his superiors. Captain Young also expressed that asking APD to intervene if a federal agent was committing a crime in Amherst would put the Chief in a bad position. This mentality has been echoed by the town’s attorneys, KP Law, who also suggested in an informal setting that protecting Amherst residents against aggression at the hands of federal agents would be a liability for the town. Town Manager Paul Bockelman’s recent Executive Order reiterated this same sentiment. I believe this is all centered on the idea that an APD officer could be charged with interfering with federal immigration enforcement, but we know from case law…that this does not mean that police officers can forgo their responsibility to respond when a crime is being committed.”

Youth Empowerment Center Updates:
Clark mentioned that at a recent finance committee meeting, two town councilors raised the possibility of repurposing the $450,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding currently in free cash and previously reserved for a youth empowerment center. “It has not been reallocated yet…but there was conversation around that money, which…we should make sure we’re staying on top of,” Clark said. 

“So that money, that $450[000] needs to be earmarked for the center ASAP, and the fact that these two town councilors were already talking about, well, there’s youth empowerment center funds, why don’t we use that? -[This was] exactly the nightmare that we had been talking about at the last meeting, right?” Ferreira said. 

According to Clark, Planning & Economic Development Director Jeff Bagg has requested funding for a study into the various possible uses of Wildwood Elementary School, a location that has been proposed for a potential youth empowerment center. 

“People have mentioned it as a possible site for a community center. Could be a site for both youth empowerment and BIPOC cultural center. Could even potentially house CRESS and DEI and then perhaps the senior center could all just take over the Bangs and then everybody would have some space…would be perhaps something that I might be interested in advocating for if that’s what the committee would be interested in advocating for,” Clark said. 

Ferreira said, “We really need to put a lot of pressure for Wildwood to be used for the youth empowerment center and the multicultural center. This is our opportunity and we know that there’s gonna be so many other…areas and projects…vying for that space and I wouldn’t put it past the town to just give that space up.” 

Items Not Anticipated 
Piedade mentioned recent protests from DPW workers as they bargain with the town for a fair contract, adding that the workers were prevented from speaking at a town council meeting as it was scheduled as an executive session and no public comment was permitted.. The committee agreed to put the issue on their next agenda. 

“I think it’s a matter of equity…in terms of what their complaints are with regard to the town and I’m just thinking, you know, since we are for the community safety and social justice, I’m wondering if…we might want to think about how we might want to support…that staff.” 

Ferreira also announced that Pat Ononibaku won a 2026 Fearless Women Award sponsored by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

“[The award] Honors women who embody courage, resilience and empowerment across these five categories… bravery, advocacy, passion, perseverance and authenticity…I really want to…congratulate Miss. Pat because she’s not only a former CSSJC member but also [a] CSWG member and obviously an advocate, a true…leader in our community and we’re very very thankful for everything that she does,” Ferreira said. 

During the public comment period, Ononibaku added, “The award is for all of you as well…for all the social justice activists in this town, including all of you for what you do.”

Public Comment
In the opening public comment period, Ferreira read an anonymous letter from a resident regarding the need for more youth empowerment resources in town. The committee asked Nolan Young to speak with CRESS director Camille Theriaque about creating a CSSJC email address specifically to receive anonymous letters for public comment. 

Ononibaku spoke during the second public comment period at the end of the meeting about budgeting inequities. 

“So the point of budget is, who is controlling, who is running this town? The business community, upper middle class, elite in this town, they get whatever they want. You can’t touch the police department, because the police protect the business community. And I’m a business woman, you know, I’m not anti-business.” She added that she felt certain budget items were “untouchable.”

“So I will hope that [in] the conversation about budget, that folks emphasize [an] equity lens,” Ononibaku said. 

Next Meeting:  
The next meeting of the CSSJC will be held on April 8. Additionally, the CSSJC retreat will be held on April 4 at the Bangs Community Center. The event is open to the public.