Reimagining Public Safety in Lexington - Forum on May 6

[Sarah Higginbotham]

As Town Meeting will soon be faced with the question of allocating funds to the design and construction of a new police station, I encourage members to attend this upcoming forum, which will provide information on broadening the discussion of what public safety might look like in the coming years and decades, so that we might consider the implications for our new facility's design in the present moment. 

Together We Rise is holding the forum on May 6 (7:00 - 8:30 p.m., register here) in order to:

1. Provide national and local context for reimagining a forward-looking model of public safety in Lexington.

2. Share Brookline's experience in soliciting community input and updating their model of public safety.

3. Ask community leaders and town officials to reflect on how all of this might feed into the design of a new Lexington police station or integrated public safety facility. 

Together We Rise has asked the Select Board to co-sponsor the event; the Select Board will consider this at their April 26 meeting. 

Thank you for your consideration,

Sarah 

Sarah Higginbotham (she/her)

Precinct 5

[Sarah Higginbotham]

Hi again, Town Meeting members -

Just a reminder that Together We Rise (a grassroots organization in Lexington focused on racial and social justice) is offering this forum - "Reimagining Public Safety in Lexington" - that will take place this coming Thursday evening, May 6, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. 

The program is offered to complement the work being done by the Select Board in gathering community input regarding the new police station design. We wish to provide an  opportunity for community members to learn about current research, conversation, and activism regarding public safety reform that is taking place in towns and cities across the country. We hope that by providing information to the community, folks can have a broader sense of what's possible as we imagine the future of public safety. 

Join the over 90 Lexington residents already registered by filling out this form. 

And if you're interested in learning more about how the Town is thinking about policing, I encourage you to attend the Select Board's meeting tomorrow, May 3, where they will receive the report from Carmen Ortiz of Anderson & Kreiger LLP on the Lexington Police Policies & Procedures. You can read the full report and recommendations by clicking the "download agenda" button next to the 5/3 SB meeting listing here:

https://lexington.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/

Hope to see you on Thursday,

Sarah

Sarah Higginbotham (she/her)

Precinct 5