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Somerville committee reviews Davis Square public-safety plan and advances call-box planning
Summary
The Public Health and Safety Committee reviewed a community‑driven public‑safety plan for Davis Square that balances enforcement and services, and heard an emergency‑call‑box feasibility update. The committee marked the items work complete and staff will continue weekly monitoring and return with implementation details on call boxes.
The Somerville City Public Health and Safety Committee reviewed a draft "shared community expectations" public‑safety plan for Davis Square and discussed installing emergency call boxes in key locations, marking the items work complete during the meeting.
The plan was developed by a working group convened by the police chief and councilors representing Wards 6 and 7 and includes representatives from the mayor’s office, Health and Human Services, the Somerville Homeless Coalition, business representatives and residents. Chief Benford, Somerville Police Department, said the document summarizes issues raised last summer around 7 Hills Park and nearby public spaces and sets expectations for enforcement, outreach and community programming.
The plan groups responses under several headings: dealing with drug activity (distinguishing enforcement for distribution from treatment‑oriented responses for people with substance use disorders), addressing violence and public disturbances, clarifying when to call 911 versus 311, and expanding community programming and space use so people are not simply displaced into private property. The document also proposes signage and time‑limit language for park hours and describes a neighborhood engagement team model of sustained community policing.
Committee members and participating agencies emphasized that the approach is intended to be "community driven." Councilor Pineda Neufeld and Councilor Lance Davis helped convene stakeholders and said the working group met repeatedly since November to draft the document. Hannah O'Halloran, Somerville Homeless Coalition, and Karen Carroll, director of Health and Human Services, confirmed their organizations participated in the process.
On emergency call boxes, Director Bill Fisher, Emergency Management, described technical and policy issues under review: possible power sources (hardwired, solar, cellular or radio), whether devices include integrated cameras, signage and color choices, and compliance with the city's surveillance ordinance. Fisher said two initial locations under consideration are the Davis Square / Statue Park area and a site near Cross Street East and Broadway, and that the city met with a potential contractor. He said the city will assess feasibility and financing and hopes to return with a proposal in the next fiscal year if the project advances.
Committee members asked for clarity on why call boxes remain relevant; Fisher said they target people who lack working cell phones or whose phones have dead batteries. Chief Benford and staff said call boxes should not replace other responses but provide an additional access point to emergency services.
The committee recorded that staff will continue weekly monitoring of Davis Square conditions, that the working group and city departments will reduce the plan to flyers and other brief communications, and that outreach and programmatic resources (library, coalition services, park programming) will be emphasized to avoid simply displacing people. The committee marked the items work complete and requested staff be available to brief other councilors and return with any required implementation details.
Next steps noted in the meeting: maintain weekly interagency check‑ins for Davis Square, finalize park signage language, continue community distribution of the summarized plan, evaluate call‑box feasibility and return with cost and procurement details for possible inclusion in the next fiscal year budget.
