The Recorder’s recent article on the Greenfield Police Department’s “co-responder” program quoted two executives at CSO, the police sergeant overseeing the program, the social worker hired for the program, and Deputy Police Chief William Gordon. All are direct beneficiaries of the $200,000 in grant funding secured for the new initiative. Are they likely to say anything critical about it? One wonders what the targets of this service think about it. Do they think it’s a good idea? There are also a number of organizations in Greenfield providing peer-led and non-police health services, including the Wildflower Alliance, Tapestry, and the Recover Project. What do they think about this model? Quoting even one person not directly tied to the grant funding would go a long way towards making the article something more than a simple press release.
Andrew Ritchey
Greenfield