There are crazy things happening in this world, some distant, and some right in front of our eyes. It’s no secret that there are broken systems, and accountability issues, but policy and reform is an ever changing thing. What I can’t grasp is the thought process of group punishment — of thinking that an entire agency/profession is responsible for the behavior of few.
The state’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) reform was created to address the concerns the Greenfield City Council brought up. Instead of letting that process take fold, city council is making retaliatory actions which will cripple this community. I have worked for Greenfield Police Department for 14 years, in the last few an entire evolution has occurred in that department. I attribute this to the changes in command staff, dedication to outside training, incorporation of CSO, and most significantly the recent hires, whose addition has changed the vision of GPD for the better.
The budget cuts proposed by the council do not solve any of the concerns they have. It will dismantle the police department, cut those amazing officers we have trained and invested in, and undermine all the hard work that has been done to change the outlook of policing in Greenfield. This action will cripple the remaining officers to a point that is unhealthy for everyone. The long-term effects of running minimum officer shifts, forced overtime, no time off, and in the busiest season is a recipe for disaster.
The short/long term budget issues this cut will cause few are acknowledging. This will be more expensive for the city in the end. I took an oath, to protect and serve, to act in a professional manner, and continue to do my job for the very people that claim police are not needed. We are people, we are community members, we are not immune.
If you are a citizen of Greenfield, do not hide, please speak up. Fight for your safety, the safety of your community, and for the officers who work tirelessly in a city that seemingly does not support them. If you are not speaking up to the people that are making powerful decisions, you will lose the great officers of Greenfield Police Department. We can only maintain for so long before we too will break.
Megan E. Cloutier is a police sergeant in the Greenfield Police Department.