(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

Dear Mr. Connolly,

Like you, I am a life-long resident of Somerville who remembers the transformation of Davis Square in the 80s and 90s. And, like you, I am concerned about the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the small businesses and restaurants of Somerville. However, it seems like that is where the similarities end.

I strongly disagree that the police are the appropriate service to deal with the situation you describe in Davis. You describe Davis Square as being in distress, but in fact, it seems like these individuals are also in distress, and that health and human services is exactly what they need. It is important to point out that homelessness is NOT a crime; mental illness is NOT a crime; and addiction is NOT a crime, although we often criminalize the circumstances and behaviors associated with them.

As a former librarian and current LIS educator, I know full well that front-line and public services workers are often instructed to call the police for situations like the ones you describe, not because the police are the best or most appropriate responders, but because they are the only responders that have been made available. This practice is especially problematic because oftentimes folks experiencing the issues described here are also part of other marginalized communities, including those who are routinely profiled and targeted by law enforcement. In fact, I find the implication that folks who are homeless, mentally ill, or suffering from addiction are best handled by “uniformed police officer who possess weapons” deeply troubling. I would have fervently hoped that after all of the attention brought to this issue by the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others, we would be so much more careful about advocating for the use of force by police, never mind suggesting that having weapons is equated with greater safety.

Folks who are homeless, mentally ill, or suffering from addiction need compassion, support, and resources best delivered by people who are trained in these areas. And to that end, I am also deeply troubled by your question of “how many health and human service staff are working nights and weekends?” I have a close family member who works for Boston Health Care for the Homeless, as well as many friends and family who work in public health, social services, etc. and I can assure you that they do, indeed, work nights, weekends, and really all hours of the day, every day of the year—including, for one small example, taking a census of homeless people in Boston overnight during the month of January. If health and human services are not available in this city all of the days and hours we need them, it is only for lack of funding …  which, I suppose brings us to the central argument. You suggest that cuts to the police budget will worsen the problems you describe. I believe that restructuring funding to bolster health and human services will improve that situation far more than increased police presence. Somerville today is a much richer and better-positioned city than it was when I was growing up. I would like to think it is also a more compassionate one. I cannot believe that we can’t have both public safety and public health.

Sincerely,

Laura Saunders
Ward 1 Resident