This month marked an important step forward in how Salem responds to behavioral health and substance-use emergencies. On January 20th, we officially launched the REACH (Rapid Engagement, Assessment & Community Health) Team — a pilot program designed to make sure the right response shows up at the right time when someone is in crisis.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who came out to my re-election campaign kickoff on January 8th. Being surrounded by so many people who care deeply about Salem was both humbling and energizing.

Over the past several months, our team has been hard at work strengthening partnerships and building a collaborative approach to public safety in Salem. Earlier this year, the City was selected to join the Bloomberg-Harvard City Leadership Initiative — a year-long program that helps cities address key challenges through innovation and collaboration.