I was encouraged by the presentation David Moscaritolo, chairman of the new Greenfield Public Safety Commission, made at the Feb. 15 City Council meeting. He discussed his commitment to review the procedures of the police and fire departments in Greenfield. Considering the situation that the city of Greenfield has found itself over the last year, that is the minimum that needs to be done.

I would, however, like to direct this discussion beyond such a review. I believe we need to truly consider the concepts and assumptions that underlie our public safety services and how they work. Much of what we call public safety is reactive … responding to a crime, to an accident or fire. There are preventive actions that are in the portfolios of both the police and fire, but, generally, when we talk about what they do, we are talking about reactions — reactions to real events, reactions to assumptions about motives, reactions to human behavior.

I hope that the Public Safety Commission will not only look at those reactions and the policies that relate to them, but also consider what we mean by public safety and how we develop services that provide the highest level of public safety possible.

For example, we know that the police, for better or worse, have become the de facto mental health emergency corps, not just in Greenfield, but throughout the country. The first question here is, does that make sense?

I would argue that it does not, even with a ride-along social worker. I believe that we need a different type of approach that is independent of the police but works through central dispatch. An example of such a project is in Albuquerque, New Mexico called Sending Help Instead of the Police, according to a Feb. 4 article in The New Yorker.

In Albuquerque, the city has a separate team of social service workers who are employed by the city as a unit totally independent of police or fire. Their goals include serving those with mental health concerns, unhoused individuals who may need services and other people with social service needs. The article points out that they do not see themselves as in any way a part of the police force. Their goal is to provide safety to persons who need social supports … public safety.

This Albuquerque model is just one of several alternatives that exist around the country. If we look at public safety as responding to public needs and not only enforcing laws and rules, then our perspective widens. If we are truly looking at the public safety of all residents and not just checking existing rules and policies, it would be worthwhile for the Public Safety Commission to set its efforts toward considering the whole concept and spectrum of this service area.

We need to be asking questions like: How do department actions or policies make the public safer? Do they do what they are intended to do? Who benefits from them? Is anyone excluded? Are there ways to make these actions or policies better? If they do not make the public safer, why are they ineffective and what would be a more appropriate response? We should not be doing the same things over and over and expect different results.

I believe that Mr. Moscaritolo and the commissioners are committed to understanding what our public safety departments presently do and making recommendations to improve them. I hope that the commission also will be open to thinking outside the usual service box. In doing so, the questions that we are now dealing with regarding police staffing also may take on new meaning and approaches.

The public discussions that have taken place at City Council meetings and beyond regarding policing show that the residents of this city are committed to opening the discussion about what makes us truly safe and what we need to do to make that safety happen. I hope that the commission that is entrusted with this discussion does not limit itself to the status quo but broadens the conversation to include what could be and acts on those ideas.

I wish the commission success and look forward to learning of their efforts.

Susan Worgaftik lives in Greenfield.

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