Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Grant topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council accepts $84,458 grant to pair police with Roca for crisis intervention program
Summary
The council voted 10–1 to accept an $84,458.79 Burns State Crisis Intervention grant, authorizing police to partner with Roca on mentoring and workforce supports for 14 young adults; the program includes weekly officer involvement and drew debate over whether regular patrol staffing would be affected.
The Holyoke City Council voted March 18 to accept an $84,458.79 grant for a police-led crisis intervention program administered in partnership with Roca, a regional workforce and re-entry nonprofit.
The grant will fund services for approximately 14 participants and, by council description, includes a police officer assigned one day per week to meet with Roca participants to mentor and oversee program activities (driving school, job applications and related supports). The police department presented the grant request to the finance committee; committee members noted the officer would meet with Roca as part of the grant and said the assignment would not be paid as overtime. Council discussion focused on operational implications — several councilors asked whether an officer would be removed from street duty or whether the duty would be assigned within existing schedules and whether the city would bear costs if an officer were injured while performing grant duties.
Councilors raised concerns about officer staffing levels and the potential that police duties would shift to include grant-related mentoring. The police representative and other staff told the council the officer would conduct weekly sessions in addition to regular duties, and the department characterized the assignment as part of regular shift scheduling rather than an extra overtime post.
On the roll call, the council approved the grant 10–1. Councilor Israel Rivera raised procedural cautions during debate; councilor McGrath Smith and others sought clarifying language on how assignment and coverage would be handled. The council asked for assurances that the grant activity would not be funded with overtime and that the police department would manage staffing to maintain patrol coverage.
The vote authorizes the acceptance of state grant funds and the establishment of an accounting method for the program; it also requires city departments to report outcomes as appropriate. The police department and Roca are expected to provide further details on scheduling and program administration.
