LYNN — The City’s new unarmed response team, Lynn Calm Team, officially started its pilot program Tuesday at a launch event at City Hall.
DEI Officer and Senior Advisor to the Mayor, Faustina Cuevas, introduced those on the panel at the event, and Mayor Jared C. Nicholson kicked things off, thanking all those who made the team possible. The panel included Lynn Racial Justice Coalition member Adriana Paz, LCT Community Manager J. Javier Valdez, LCT Community Support Specialist Jorge Taya Tobalino, SUD Coordinator and Community Liaison Candice McClory, Nicholson, and Cuevas.
Some of those he thanked included those sitting up on the panel, Eliot Community Human Services, the Lynn Calm Team Community Advisory Committee, City Councilors who were involved in the program, and former Mayor Thomas McGee, as well as many others who dedicated their time to making the program possible. Nicholson also mentioned the importance of the opioid settlement funds.
“I think that we’re going to continue to learn together… They’re going to respond in a culturally relevant way. In a way that helps us further racial justice here in the City of Lynn. In a way that kind of complements our existing Public Safety Team,” Nicholson said.
Nicholson emphasized that it has taken the City years to get to this point and that this was a pilot program.
“There’s still a long way to go for this program to reach the potential that we have for it,” he said.
Nicholson said that decades or centuries from now, he believes people will look back on this moment and see an example of a positive “That can result in a government that listens and responds and takes affirmative steps to help and try to make a positive difference, even when it’s new, when its novel, and even when it’s hard,” he said.
Paz spoke about her hopes for the program and why it exists.
“That hope is rooted in the understanding that those who are charged with carrying the mission forward do so with the deep awareness of how we got here. It’s important to recognize that the success of this program is not just about what we do from this day forward but about how we do it and why,” Paz said.
She continued, saying that it’s important to remember how they got there.
“The tragic murder of George Floyd and then Briana Taylor… These events might be difficult or uncomfortable to talk about, but that is where this program comes from,” she said.
Cuevas said that this has been a long journey and a labor of love with highs and lows.
“Now, years later, we can say we’re finally here doing something called upon by the community for the community,” she said.
She continued, saying that in 2021, under McGee, this was just an idea, but now it’s here. She stated that there were many iterations of what this team could be, but two things remained the same through the process.
“One was that it needed to be independent with its own number, and two, that the team should reflect our community. I’m proud to say that we have accomplished both of those things today,” Cuevas said.
She also stated that the number for the team will be launched in July so that they can be reached through Eliot Dispatch.
“Nonetheless, we’re not naive and know there’s so much work to be done and that this will not be perfect from the beginning,” she said. “A year from now we want to be able to say that this program healed inequities, closed gaps with community care that focused on harm reduction, conflict resolution, and culturally relevant support with unarmed response and that each situation wand individual was treated with dignity, care, and compassion that every human deserves.”
Valdez also spoke, saying it was an honor to be there.
“This moment means a lot not just to me, but to the many people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this day,” he said.
Valdez spoke about his connection to the City and the change that he hopes to see with the help of LCT.
I have faith in this community, and I believe strongly in the potential of what we’re launching today. The mission of this team is about changing how we respond to some of the most vulnerable moments that people experience. It’s about making sure that when someone is in distress whether they’re dealing with mental health challenges, substance use… they are met with care and understanding,” Valdez said.
One thing he wanted everyone to know is that the program isn’t about “replacing sirens or badges,” but is about creating a partnership, and that safety isn’t a one-size-fits-all.
“Today we’re stepping into something sacred… not just as responders but as those that are building bridges and those that are bringing peace,” Valdez said. “The hands and feet of a new kind of care in our city. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that everybody can be great because anybody can serve. And so today we’re stepping into greatness not because we’re perfect, not because we have all the answers, but because we’re willing to serve with grace, with the dignity, for a better City of Lynn.”
