Northampton police describe outreach to older adults; senior center committee backs Forbes Library grant

The Northampton police chief told the Council on Aging on an evening meeting that the department emphasizes local, community‑specific training for officers who interact with older residents and works with the city’s Division of Community Care on non‑violent welfare checks.

At the meeting, Kim (senior center staff) said she had forwarded questions from the council to the chief. The police chief described routine well‑being checks as coming through dispatch when someone misses a meal delivery, does not show up for work or is otherwise off their normal routine. “We normally try to gather some information on the person before we go knocking on their door,” the chief said, adding that police will call hospitals to confirm whether a person has been admitted and typically send two officers to a residence; if there is a medical emergency or immediate danger the fire department and ambulance are also dispatched.

The chief said most well‑being checks—“I’d say 95% of the time”—turn out to find the person safe, often because they are in a hospital or elsewhere. When officers find a person in need of medical attention, they provide or arrange care.

The department is piloting and coordinating responses with the Division of Community Care (DCC), an unarmed co‑responder program under the state Department of Health and Human Services. The chief said DCC staff sometimes take calls directly and that dispatchers use a question tree to route calls; if dispatchers determine there is no danger, the call can go to a DCC worker rather than police. The chief warned that by law a 911 medical call still requires police and fire response.

The council also heard the chief describe the department’s co‑responders: two clinicians housed in the police department under a federal JAG grant. The chief said the clinicians can provide mental‑health evaluations and in some cases write involuntary commitment orders (a “section 12”), which DCC workers cannot do. The chief noted the co‑responders assisted in outreach to people living at encampments behind the former Moose Lodge and near a commercial area by Walmart; the city provided storage containers for personal property after outreach and relocation.

On elder‑abuse reports, the chief said a patrol officer typically takes the initial report; cases can be referred to the detective bureau and Highland Valley Elder Services is involved as part of investigations.

The chief and several council members discussed current scams targeting older adults. The chief cautioned members to be wary of text messages appearing to be toll notices, Microsoft tech‑support scams, impersonation calls alleging a grandchild is in jail, and potential IRS scams during tax season. “If you feel in your gut it could be a scam, it probably is,” the chief said, urging people to hang up, collect information if possible, and call police. A council member related a recent local scam attempt involving a purported Florence Savings Bank contact that led to a costly computer reset.

Council members also raised panhandling downtown and on Main Street, noting some panhandlers appear to be older adults. The chief said panhandling is legal on public property and the department and DCC attempt to connect people to services, but some decline offers of help.

Votes at a glance: • Motion to approve minutes of the Jan. 9 meeting — moved and seconded; vote: approved (all in favor). (Mover/second not specified in transcript.) • Motion to send a letter of support from the Council on Aging for a Forbes Library grant application (application amount listed as $8,000) — moved, seconded; vote: approved; one member recused and did not vote. (Mover, seconder and the member who recused were not identified by full name in the transcript.)

Why it matters: The chief’s presentation outlined how the police department and contracted or grant‑funded clinicians share responsibility for older residents with social‑service needs, and how routing calls to unarmed community workers can reduce unnecessary police responses. The council’s vote to support the Forbes Library grant signals backing from a senior‑serving body for a community arts/performance project that the library says could host events for children and older adults alike.

The council heard additional senior center updates: January membership grew by 59 new members and the center reported an average daily attendance of 184 people in January, up from 161 in December. The council also confirmed upcoming guests including the Friends of the Northampton Senior Center and a visit from the fire/rescue department in May.

The police chief and senior center staff encouraged older residents to use the city website for information about municipal building closures and to call dispatch or the police if they suspect a scam or need a well‑being check. The council plans to reconvene on March 13.