AMHERST — Programs that will cost significant money to launch — including a police alternative program that would respond to nonviolent calls that police now cover, a diversity department within town government, and a youth empowerment center — are the key elements of a proposal to make public safety non-racist and equitable in Amherst.

While the Town Council and Town Manager Paul Bockelman are supporting the advice provided by the Community Safety Working Group, whose members made a lengthy presentation at Monday’s council meeting, questions remain about how to fund these initiatives and how quickly they can be accomplished.

Ellisha Walker, co-chairwoman of the working group, said the extensive study of public safety in Amherst, including the police department, shows there is a need to end racial profiling and the over-surveillance of the Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities, especially at apartment complexes.

But with millions of dollars needed to execute the plan, and the fiscal year 2022 budget so far having just $130,000 for the Community Responders for Equity, Safety, and Service (CRESS) program by reappropriating money from two vacant police positions, determining a funding plan will begin with a joint meeting of councilors, working group members and the Finance Committee on Thursday evening.

Town Manager Paul Bockelman said the hard work done by the working group sets the stage for change and for public safety that works for all in the community. Unanswered, though, is how soon various programs can be set up and where the funding will come from, whether in next year’s operating budget or through the capital budget.

The working group offers multiple prongs for promoting equity in the community and reducing the need for police responses.

Working group Co-Chairwoman Brianna Owen said that much of this begins with full funding of the CRESS program, ranging from $1.9 million to $2.8 million.

“The CSWG feels that a CRESS program will not be effective if it is not fully funded,” Owen said. The problem, Owen said, is that markers can’t be put in place for its effectiveness if spending is limited.

Another recommendation is creating an Amherst Resident Oversight Board that would handle complaints brought against police officers. This board could initiate investigations and suggest discipline, and members could get stipends of $10,000 per year.

The Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is another concept that will need a full-time director and assistant director, and would become part of a core management team in town government to encourage more diverse hiring practices.

“Diversity is not a check box — it is an ongoing commitment to inclusive environments,” Walker said.

The working group is also seeking a BIPOC-led Amherst Youth Empowerment Center and an Amherst BIPOC Cultural Center.

The new diversity office and these centers could be run at a cost of $1.17 million.

The final recommendations are to reduce the size of the police force over time, which would come naturally as less police involvement is needed, and keeping the working group intact.

The report was accompanied by information from consultant 7 Generations Movement Collective of Amherst that criticizes the community policing approach used by police. “While the intent is proactive policing, what results … is the impact of over-surveillance on the population most impacted by police — the BIPOC community,” it reads.

The consultant gathered data on police interactions from marginalized populations through interviews and focus groups, especially from those who are most vulnerable, including people who are part of the BIPOC community and Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Researchers also used police statistics on interactions with the public.

Among their findings, the researchers said the two words most frequently chosen by interviewees to describe police were “white” and “lurking.”

Councilors said they have many questions that will need to be answered in the coming days.

At-Large Councilor Andy Steinberg said he worries that police are needed for investigating and responding to domestic abuse incidents and doesn’t want to compromise that aspect of the department’s work.

District 5 Councilor Shalini Bahl-Milne said she wonders if Amherst could get by with a smaller CRESS program, observing that communities with similar programs tend to be much larger. Nevertheless, “We need a radical shift in policing and fully support your work,” Bahl-Milne said.