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Showing posts with label trust. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trust. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
How to find local news you can trust
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Franklin (MA) Police Department Community Service Results & Action Plan
Community Survey Results and Action Plan October 11, 2023
The Franklin Police Department conducted a Community Survey from July 25, 2023 – September 3, 2023. This survey was anonymous and it was looking for community feedback in order to gauge how the department was doing in several different areas including community involvement, safety, procedural justice, performance and satisfaction of officer contact. This survey was posted on all of our social media platforms and our web site with the intent of reaching as many citizens as possible.
There were 315 responses to this survey. The results of the survey are below and can also be found on our web site at: https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/pages/2023_community_survey_results_data.pdf
The command staff at the police department have looked at this data and have found the following:
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| Franklin (MA) Police |
Community Involvement
- Although most people feel we do a good job at interacting with the community, we feel we can do better at making it easy for community members to provide input to the department. We are working on ways for people to be able to provide information and suggestions using social media platforms or other communication platforms.
Safety
- The top three issues identified by the public as the greatest problems in the community are the same, we, as a department, have also identified as top priorities. They include:
- Traffic Issues (49.2%)
- Mental Health Issues (44.4%)
- Drug Abuse (31.7%)
- Here are the things that the police department have been and will continue to do regarding these issues:
- Traffic:
- We have hired three of the four additional officers that the town has appropriated and once filled will bring us to a total of 58 sworn officers. These officers have been assigned to our operations division and will be assigned to uniformed patrol. This will increase the ability to conduct traffic enforcement during times between calls for service.
- Our patrol division has increased traffic stops in FY23 by approximately 79.4% (3,348 stops) from the year before (FY22 – 1,868 stops). With the addition of the four new officers, we have directed our operations division to continue this trend and expect an additional 25% increase of traffic stops and directed patrols this year.
- Mental Health:
- The department has started its own Co-response Mental Health Program to continue its good work that began with Advocates.
- We have hired a team of mental health clinician who works directly for the Town of Franklin. We have hired a FPD Co-response Program Manager and we are in the process of hiring two additional clinicians. These clinicians will ride with officers to calls for service where mental health issues are a factor. These clinicians are trained to recognize the problems, they understand the challenges, and can assist officers in real time, while on scene, by getting the individual the services they need quickly. The new clinicians will start in November of 2023.
- Drug Abuse:
- We have one detective that is assigned to narcotics investigations. All other detectives are crossed trained in narcotics investigations and can assist when needed.
- Our detectives and clinicians conduct follow up investigations after drug overdoses in order to provide information and support services.
- Our department participates in a county overdose database in which information is shared between member departments. This allows us to follow up and provide services to those who are Franklin residents but may have overdosed in another jurisdiction.
- We have a working partnership with the SAFE coalition and other organizations to provide support services to individuals and families suffering from drug addiction.
- Traffic:
Procedural Justice
- We are happy to see that a majority of respondents trust the police, find us respectful and find us fair. We will continue to strive to meet those expectations the community deserves.
Performance
- Although most found the overall performance of our agency satisfactory, we can improve on proactivity and addressing community concerns.
- We will encourage officers to get out of their cars while on patrol and engage more with the community.
- We will continue to encourage more community engagement through use of special vehicles such as bicycles, motorcycles and foot patrols of high pedestrian areas (i.e. Downtown, malls, etc.).
Conclusion
First of all, we would like to thank the community members who took the time to complete the survey. Your feedback is extremely important to gauge what the community thinks of our performance. We take all of this feedback extremely seriously and will do our best to improve. Our goal is to provide the best possible service that we can, the level of service that our residents deserve.
Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/police-department-community-service-results-action-plan
Thursday, October 12, 2023
Franklin Police join Trust Building Campaign
The Franklin Police Department is pleased to announce that they have completed a pledge to enhance trust and collaboration between police and the communities served. The pledge is part of an initiative called the Trust Building Campaign which was started by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the world’s largest and most influential professional association for police leaders. To join the Trust Building Campaign, law enforcement agencies must pledge to implement 25 key policies and leading practices within a 36-month period.
Chief Thomas Lynch made the decision to join the Trust Building Campaign as a means to enhance the trust and partnership the department has with the community.
By completing the Trust Building Campaign Pledge, the Franklin Police Department established policies and trainings, conducted assessments, and developed strategies within six focused areas (bias-free policing; use of force; leadership and culture; recruitment, hiring, and retention; victim services; and community relations) designed to encourage positive community-police partnerships that promote safe, effective interactions, create strategies to prevent and reduce crime, and improve the wellbeing and quality of life for all.
The IACP is encouraged by the efforts of agencies as they incorporate the pledge’s concepts into their everyday operations. When trust building is prioritized, community members and the police benefit from relationships focused on unified visions, goals, and values. Building and rebuilding trust in the community and around the world is critical, and must remain a primary objective.
The greatest benefit in taking the Trust Building Campaign Pledge has been reinforcing the policies and procedures that the department has established through the accreditation process and looking at them through the lens of community trust building and partnerships.
Chief Lynch states, “I feel the police department has a great relationship with the community but we are always trying to do better, to do a little more. The Franklin Police Department is constantly looking for ways to connect with and enhance those partnerships. The IACP Trust Building Campaign gave us a mechanism to review and improve our policies, procedures, and training with the goal of increasing the community’s trust and create additional positive relationships”.
For more information about the Trust Building Campaign, visit the IACP’s website at https://www.theiacp.org/iacp-trust-building-campaign.
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Town of Franklin, MA: Affordable housing opportunity - 1st come, 1st serve
Affordable Housing Opportunity Alert!
You can learn more about the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust here: https://t.co/mD62awSRBL or https://www.franklinma.gov/municipal-affordable-housing-trust
Details on the 67 Palomino Drive – Dover Farms – Franklin, MA - $310,500 – First Come, First Serve - Resale
Shared from Twitter -> https://t.co/TwqjPb9L4n or https://twitter.com/TOFranklinMA/status/1645435228742197249
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| Town of Franklin, MA: Affordable housing opportunity - 1st come, 1st serve |
Monday, March 20, 2023
How to find news you can trust - 3 session webinar series in April, 2023
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| Hi Franklinites! You probably read, watch or listen to the news every day, and chances are you often do so online. How do you know whether news sources are credible? How do you know what to trust?
You can find more information and register for the series here. |
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Thursday, January 19, 2023
The News Literacy Project: 2 webinars scheduled on Public trust & Misinformation
(1) Jan. 23, 6pm ET: We regret the error: Public trust & media accountability
Shared from Twitter -> https://twitter.com/NewsLitProject/status/1615399445813944320
Audience: All invited
In-person (@PressClubDC, D.C.)
🔗 to register: https://t.co/HAReDQwdpS
Newsroom leaders discuss past mistakes & what they've learned to build greater trust with their audiences https://t.co/er1meLeEbq
Shared from Twitter -> https://twitter.com/NewsLitProject/status/1615399445813944320
(2) Jan. 26, 2pm ET: Your brain & misinformation: Why people believe lies & conspiracy theories (@APA)
Audience: All invited
Virtual 🔗 https://t.co/aBNaAG1oO9
Untangle the threads in our heads & hearts that can cause us to accept & spread falsehoods even when we should know better https://t.co/qJLttRxB03
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| Your brain & misinformation: Why people believe lies & conspiracy theories |
Sunday, August 21, 2022
Annual Report Of The Municipal Affordable Housing Trust - FY 2021
Note: FY 2021 is last year (July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021). The report was prepared to cover the business for the FY 2021 period. This year’s report FY 2022 (July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022) is in preparation now and is normally available for distribution at the polls for the November election.
The Franklin Municipal Affordable Housing Trust fund was established on May 18, 2005 by Bylaw Amendment 05-567. The Trust Fund can receive, hold, invest or expend funds for the rehabilitation, renovation, construction, financing or refinancing of property within the Town of Franklin making these residential properties available to low and moderate income families looking for an affordable home.
The Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) establishes the Median Income for the area annually (currently $120,800). Income limits are set at 80% of the Median Income based on household size. The “Affordable” sales price for a home is set assuming a household earning 80% of the median income can obtain a mortgage.
“Affordable” homes must have a “deed rider” attached to the deed of the home. The deed rider will preserve the resale value of the home so that it will remain as affordable in perpetuity. “Affordable“ homes must be purchased by income and asset qualified households.
Having the deed rider ensures that all the affordable units will be included on the “Subsidized Housing Inventory” (SHI). The goal is to have an affordable housing inventory of at least 10%. Franklin’s SHI is at 12%. This number allows the Town leeway to support only those developments that it feels benefit the community.
In FY2020, interest rates continued to be at historic lows and the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust processed 5 refinances and re-sold 1 home.
Progress is continuing on the Franklin Ridge senior housing project to be located off of Veterans Memorial Drive and behind Eaton Place. The project will include 60 new senior apartments that will be affordable to income and asset qualified seniors. The Trust has earmarked up to $550,000 in support of this project.
This year, as always, we look forward to pursuing innovative ways to produce affordable housing in the Town of Franklin. It is our pleasure to submit this annual report for your review.
Respectfully submitted,
Chris Vericker, Chairman
Mary Anne Bertone
Christopher Feeley
Jamie Hellen
Maxine Kinhart
Judith Pond Pfeffer
The full Annual Report for 2021 can be found
The collection of Annual Reports can be found online
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| Annual Report Of The Town of Franklin - FY 2021 |
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
MA Senate Passes Legislation Supporting Special Needs Trusts for Disabled Seniors
The Massachusetts State Senate on Tuesday passed legislation to promote the wellbeing of senior citizens with disabilities by clarifying their right to create and access pooled trusts while also receiving MassHealth benefits. Pooled trusts can provide funding to help seniors with disabilities to pay for items and services which are not covered by MassHealth, such as home care services, uncovered medical, dental and pharmacy costs, transportation, clothing, and household items.
“MassHealth serves some of the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable residents,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Senior citizens and people with disabilities deserve to be able to save and make smart financial decisions for their living expenses without having to worry about their eligibility for MassHealth. I want to thank Senator Jehlen for pushing for this legislation and Senator Rodrigues for his committee’s review.”
“The passage of this legislation today strengthens our support for our older disabled population by improving their quality of life and makes aging in Massachusetts a more caring experience for this population in need,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “I would like to thank the Senate President for her continued support, along with Senator Jehlen and others for their advocacy, ensuring we help to preserve funds for this vulnerable population, while protecting their eligibility for public benefits.”
"For decades, disabled people have been able to use special needs trusts to pay for important services not covered by MassHealth," said Senator Patricia B. Jehlen (D-Somerville), lead sponsor of the bill. "The trusts allow them to qualify for MassHealth while preserving enough assets to pay for items not allowed by Medicaid rules, such as home care, transportation, dental care, clothing, and personal care items. When the beneficiary of a special needs trust dies, any remaining assets are returned to the Commonwealth. Millions of dollars are recovered from these trusts each year."
Pooled trusts, which are managed by nonprofit organizations, combine the resources of many beneficiaries for the purposes of administrative cost-effectiveness and investment optimization. In Massachusetts, they have been used to give people with disabilities a way to access health care benefits, such as those offered by MassHealth, while depositing additional funds into the trust to pay for items and services not covered by those benefits.
Historically, disabled individuals of any age have been permitted to join pooled trusts without interfering with their MassHealth eligibility. In 2019 however, a federal court decision held that a Medicaid penalty may be imposed on a senior who creates a pooled trust account which is not regarded as a ‘fair-market value’. This makes it possible for MassHealth to penalize disabled individuals aged 65 and over who set up a pooled trust. This legislation would prevent this by requiring MassHealth to regard all pooled trusts as ‘fair-market value’.
Having passed the Senate this legislation now goes on to the House of Representatives for enactment.
Link to legislation -> https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H4792
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| MA Senate Passes Legislation Supporting Special Needs Trusts for Disabled Seniors |
Thursday, February 10, 2022
“What do you think is the strongest argument for the other side?”
"In recent years, the number of nonprofits and initiatives that could be categorized under a concept called “bridging” has expanded in the U.S.: Millions of Conversations, The People’s Supper and Good Conflict are just a few. Some efforts build on conflict resolution practices at a large scale (think social psychology) or individual (think marriage counseling), and all aim to create strong conditions for talking and working together across various fault lines.Looking at this expanding list, it’s easy to wonder what journalists — who are faced with their own challenges in reaching people with shared conversation and facts — might learn from them. But why, amid all other pressures on their work and livelihood, might they want to?"
Continue reading the article online
https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/publications/articles/journalism-bridging-monica-guzman/ |
| https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/publications/articles/journalism-bridging-monica-guzman/ |
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| MÓNICA GUZMÁN - BRIDGE BUILDER | AUTHOR | JOURNALIST |
Thursday, August 12, 2021
Franklin Annual Report - 2020: Municipal Affordable Housing Trust
The Franklin Municipal Affordable Housing Trust fund was established on May 18, 2015. The Trust Fund has capabilities to receive, hold, invest or expend funds for the rehabilitation, renovation, construction, financing or refinancing of property within the Town of Franklin making these residential properties available to low and moderate income families looking for an affordable home.
This year interest rates have been at historic lows and we have had numerous homeowners choosing to refinance their mortgages. The Department of Housing and Community Development provided an Agent to resell an over 55+ Townhouse in the Hidden Acres development. These units are purchased by income and asset qualified households, therefore keeping them in the affordable housing inventory. The Town has over the 10% target of its housing inventory as affordable units. We are currently at 11.89%. This number allows the Town leeway to support only those developments that it feels benefit the community.
Even though it is still several years away, Franklin Ridge, the much needed senior housing project, is proceeding as planned. Franklin Ridge will be located off of Veteran’s Memorial Drive and have 60 new senior apartments. The Trust has earmarked $500,000 and the land in support of this project. It will sit behind Eaton Place, our current senior housing development.
This year, as always, we look forward to pursuing innovative ways to produce affordable housing in the Town of Franklin.
It is our pleasure to submit this annual report for your review.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Anne Bertone
Christopher Feeley
Jamie Hellen
Robert Keras
Maxine Kinhart
Judith Pond Pfeffer
Christopher Vericker, Chair
Christopher Vericker, Chair
For additional info about the Housing Trust, visit their page
For the full Annual Report for 2020
Prior Annual Reports can be found online
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| Franklin Annual Report - 2020: Municipal Affordable Housing Trust |
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