Policing Is Not Restorative

To Chief Livingstone, Amherst Town Manager, and Town Council:

Restorative justice initiatives in Amherst should be community-led and housed outside of the Amherst Police Department.

In a recent press release about the DA and Amherst Police Department’s plan to implement a restorative justice program, Chief Livingstone stated: “The process empowers victims by actively including their voices.” However, it appears this same framework of including stakeholders’ voices was absent from the planning of this program, even after months of engaged community members voicing support for alternatives to policing. If this program is rolled out without further community input, it will reinforce that police and town officials are not listening to community calls to reimagine public safety services.

Just as police officers are not the best equipped profession to conduct wellness checks in matters involving mental health, a police department is not the best equipped agency to plan, fund, and administer a restorative justice program.

We are demanding that any restorative justice program take place outside of the racist institution of policing, as this institution has a history of producing harm in our community. Any future restorative justice program funding should be redirected from the police department to a community-led initiative, with consultation from people impacted by police violence, incarceration, and the criminal legal system.