It is with joy, gladness, thanks to God, and gratitude to all of YOU that I announce that the Lynn City Council approved $500,000 for an unarmed crisis response team in the Lynn City Budget. This is HUGE!
Lynn's Unarmed Crisis Response Team, 'ALERT,' will follow the model of the CAHOOTS program in Eugene OR, featured here on CBS
Thanks to ECCO and our partners in the Lynn Racial Justice Coalition, this will be the first unarmed crisis response team in MA, and we believe it may also be the first in all of New England, as well. With the new “All Lynn Emergency Response Team” (“ALERT”) in place, when police get called to respond to nonviolent situations, especially those involving mental health crises, trained mental health professionals and community counselors will respond, thus reducing the risk of unnecessary police violence.
There is still a long road ahead to ensure that we create ALERT as a robust program that is truly unarmed and independent. But for now, this moment is a reminder that when we come together across the diverse groups in our city, we can build the power we need to make real change.
If you are inspired by this victory and want to support ECCO to continue creating police reform around Essex County, please make a donation here.
Immigrant Action and Break-Fast on Sunday
As we celebrate this policing victory, we must also be mindful of the critical work needed to protect our immigrant siblings. This week, immigrants in ECCO and around the country are fasting to call on Congress to pass a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrant workers through the federal budget. This Sunday, ECCO immigrant fasters and their allies will gather in a powerful action for storytelling, song, and ritual as we close our fast at 7:00 PM on June 27th.
What: Join ECCO immigrant leaders in a powerful outdoor action and vigil followed by break-the-fast on the Lynn commons. We want as many folks there as possible! Please bring a dish to share or your own food to eat, depending on your personal COVID-19 comfort level.
When: Outdoor Gathering at 7:00 PM on 6/27/21
Where: On Lynn Commons, Near Benches Next to Gazebo
ECCO Community Meeting
Finally, we hope to see you next Wednesday at 6pm at the ECCO Community Meeting, where we will report back from our research and talk about how to move forward around policing and community investment. Click here to register, and find more info below.
We hope to see you soon!
In solidarity,
Reverend Annie Belmer