Timeline of the City of Northampton’s Division of Community Care:

June 2020: Demonstrations around the world decry the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black, Indigenous and people of color. Hundreds of community members testify at Northampton City Council meetings calling for police reform. The City Council and then-Mayor David Narkewicz respond by creating the Northampton Policing Review Commission (NPRC).

September 2020: The commission begins a seven-month process that includes 56 meetings and four public hearings.

March 2021: NPRC releases its “Reimagining Safety” report summarizing its research, testimony from hundreds of community members, and experts.

June 2021: As recommended by NPRC and community members, the City Council and Mayor Narkewicz create a new Department of Community Care (DCC), designating $430,000 for it in the city budget.

December of 2022: Implementation Director Sean Donovan is hired to begin the early planning for the DCC.

May 2022: Mayor Gina Louise-Sciarra transitions the DCC to become a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, whose scope has been expanded beyond its traditional health department role. The department is led by Commissioner Merridith O’Leary.

December 2022: Mayor Sciarra signs an option to purchase the former First Baptist Church as a potential site for a Community Resilience Hub. In cooperation with the DCC, the Resilience Hub will offer programs and services for vulnerable residents. See the Resilience Hub page for more information about how the hub adds to our care network.

January 2023: The City of Northampton is awarded a $450,000 Equitable Approaches to Public Safety grant from the state Department of Public Health in recognition of its work to develop the Division of Community Care as an non-police resource and its innovative work at the intersections of public health and public safety.

March 2023: Director Kristen Rhodes is hired to lead the Division of Community Care.

April 2023: Nataya Burch hired as the Division of Community Care coordinator.

June 2023: Community Responder training began

September 2023: DCC opens its doors!