Winchester Coalition for a Safer Community Faces Disbandment

If the March 29 general override vote had passed, the town was looking at adding back several items from the 2012 budget that would have otherwise been cut. But the , it is unlikely Senior Management and the will go forward with the

The was a late addition to receive money if the override had passed. The coalition has been previously funded through grants, which the program will no longer have next year.

The board had agreed that with a successful override, the coalition would receive $31,000 – $23K would go to a part-time Project Manager and $8K would be used for consultants.

“We’re going from $100,000 to a part-time employee,” said Jennifer Murphy of the coalition. “We need a project manager to stay on track.”

The coalition presented three scenarios to the Board of Selectmen – the first if the program were fully funded, the second if it were partially supported and the third if it received no funds from the town.

According to scenario three, without funding, the Jessica Fefferman, Chairman of the Board of Health, warns that coalition could be completely dissolved.

“We’ve learned that with significant reductions more people are willing to volunteer,” Fefferman said. “But with no funding we risk the total disbandment of the coalition. Without at least one person driving it, it might not be sustained.”

According to Superintendent William McAlduff, one aspect of the coalition that has benefited the town has been the “Student Risk Behavior Survey.” Students in grades six to 12 fill out these surveys every two years. The information is used to create programs and opportunities for interventions. The coalition is also responsible for the School Resource Officer.

“It’s taken us 10 years to get where we are,” said Dot Butler of the coalition. “We have a strong unit that focuses on many organizations in town. We identify needs to try and address issues in town.”

According to the coalition, along with the possibility of the organization disbanding, they warn that a lot of the programs that have been supported could also be eliminated; an increase in issues with at-risk children; lack of attention to serious issues; and an inability to make Winchester a safer community.

“For now, we’re just going to have to try to bridge it with all volunteers,” said Selectman Roger Berman.