HOLYOKE — On Sept. 29, Gov. Maura Healey hosted the second regional roundtable discussion about collaborative public safety strategies statewide and the results of the 2025 Commonwealth Project Safe Neighborhood Initiative initiative so far.
The roundtable took place at MPTC Holyoke Police Academy and included district attorneys, state police, local departments and community organizations who are partnering to reduce crime and enhance community safety.
The Healey-Driscoll administration highlighted the measurable progress made through the initiative.
The roundtable marked the second in a series of statewide conversations where the administration will bring together local leaders, law enforcement, prosecutors and community partners to review crime data, elevate regional public safety success stories and reinforce the importance of collaborative safety strategies.
During the roundtable, the administration commended the strong outcomes of the PSN Initiative, a multi-year public safety partnership that started in 2023. The initiative was launched to focus enforcement in areas where collaboration could have the greatest impact, the Commonwealth PSN Initiative invests state resources to bring state and local police together in joint operations targeting gang activity, firearm violations, narcotics distribution and human trafficking.
Specialized MSP units, including the Gang Unit, Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, Community Action Teams, Detective Units and the High-Risk Victim Squad, worked side-by-side with local departments in Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lynn, Springfield and other cities facing increased public safety challenges.
Together, these partners are reducing violent crime, addressing illegal firearms and narcotics distribution and investing in prevention programs that build stronger neighborhoods.
Since 2024, the Commonwealth PSN Initiative has led to more than 1,000 arrests or summonses, the seizure of 130 illegal firearms, the confiscation of 108 kilograms of narcotics and the recovery of over $627,000 in suspected drug proceeds.
“When state and local law enforcement work together with strong engagement from district attorneys and community partners, we get results,” said Healey, “I commend Colonel Noble, the State Police, DAs and local law enforcement on their efforts to take dangerous individuals off the street and support the community programs that provide our at-risk youth with the opportunity for a better path. We are all safer because of these partnerships, and we are going to keep building on this progress together.”
The program also awards funds to district attorneys’ offices to support prosecutions of violent crime as well as prevention and diversion programming. Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni’s office was awarded $125,000 for fiscal year 2025.
Gulluni talked about the funding and stated it has been so “successful.”
“It’s making a difference for our communities. It’s making a difference for Holyoke and Springfield and neighborhoods across Hampden County.”
Based on statistics presented from January to June, Holyoke saw 86 arrests and summons, one illegal firearm seized, 39 grams of fentanyl/heroin seized and 107 grams of cocaine/crack seized. Authorities also recovered $38,710 in currency linked to criminal activity.
Healey stated, “Look in Holyoke; the numbers are going down. We take that funding, we give it to departments, we give it to district attorney’s offices and they can do law enforcement work that they need to do. Take guns off the street, take drugs off the street and make for a better quality of life.”
Holyoke Police Chief Brian Keenan discussed the partnership and initiative and said, “The Holyoke Police Department values our partnership with the Massachusetts State Police. The Safe Neighborhood Initiative resulted in numerous arrests and illicit drugs taken off the street, which in turn preserves open spaces for our residents and children in the community. We look forward to working together with the State Police again on this initiative to continue to keep our neighborhoods safe.”
Keenan also said that you can see the positives of the initiative if you ask the residents walking around the downtown area who would say that things were better this past summer than previous summers.
“The proof is in the pudding,” he stated.
Healey plans to continue hosting these collaborative roundtable sessions throughout the state to not only focus on the arrests and seizures, but to also provide communities with preventive programs to reduce crime.
