Published on February 05, 2025
West Springfield, MA: West Springfield leaders traveled to Providence, Rhode Island for discussion and collaboration on best practices for enhancing the safety of communities and their residents. On Wednesday, February 5, Mayor Will Reichelt and Chief of Police Jay Gearing participated in a New England meeting of mayors and city police chiefs on best practices in city-level public safety and effective policing. Forty mayors and police chiefs attended the meeting hosted by Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. During the meeting, New England mayors and police chiefs discussed and collaborated on best practices for addressing a variety of issues related to public safety and effective policing, as well as building relationships between local government and law enforcement. Key issues included reducing gun violence, addressing recruitment and retention challenges, policing in the new federal environment, responding to increasing incidents of hate and violent extremism across the nation, and effective overdose prevention strategies. “As local leaders, we have a shared responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of our communities,” commented Mayor Reichelt. “Today’s meeting with fellow mayors and police chiefs serves as an invaluable opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and strengthen our collective commitment to effective, fair, and community-centered policing. By collaborating on best practices, we can build a safer, stronger community where all residents feel protected and valued.” The meeting comes as cities continue to make important progress on safety, with many seeing declines in homicides, other violent crime and property crimes over the last few years. Strengthening public safety has always been a top priority for mayors, and recent progress on reducing crime illustrates that the work being done at the local level to make cities safer is paying off. ###