Boxborough Police Seeking to Bridge Gaps and Improve Outreach to Growing Asian Community

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003

Boxborough Police Seeking to Bridge Gaps and Improve Outreach to Growing Asian Community

Applied for State Grant to Start New Community Outreach Program

BOXBOROUGH — Police Chief Warren B. Ryder today announced that the department is working a very important case. But this case involves no criminal activity, wrongdoing, victims or criminals. This case is about bridging the gap between Boxborough and its growing Asian, South Asian, and Southeast Asian communities.

The department recently applied for a Community Health Network Area Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, hoping to create a new outreach plan to more fully involve the town’s Asian population and dispel any fears they may have about the police.

“The Boxborough Police Department exists to improve the quality of life for our residents, and we have noticed a disparity. One of our fastest growing cultural groups in town is one of the least involved in the town and town government. We’d like to change that!” Chief Ryder said. “Our hope is that, with this grant, we can create a new program that will embrace our neighbors, make them feel more involved in the workings of the town, and make sure that they know that we are here to help them.”

The Boxborough Police Department made it a goal to assure that the needs of the entire community are being met after the Board of Selectmen pointed out that Boxborough’s Asian population – roughly 20 percent – had relatively low town involvement. Although the Asian community has experienced significant growth in the last 10 years, they have little to no interaction with the police or other town organizations.

The Department is hoping to change that by using grant money from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to form a new and lasting partnership with Saheli Boston and strengthen their partnership with the Domestic Violence Services Network.

“The Boxborough Police Department has had many successful community outreach endeavors under the leadership of Chief Warren Ryder,” said Vincent M. Amoroso, Chairman of the Boxborough Board of Selectmen. “I have full confidence that the program will achieve the same success if given proper support and will help Boxborough’s Asian community participate more fully in our town. Unifying our community is of the utmost importance to the Board of Selectmen.”

“The collaboration between the Boxborough Police Department and the Domestic Violence Services Network shows a true commitment that the police have for the community,” said Alison Tarmy, Direct Services Manager at Domestic Violence Services Network, in a letter supporting Boxborough’s grant application. “This grant shows that continued commitment to their diverse community.”

The grant would provide the means for Boxborough police officers to more comprehensively reach out to victims of crime and the entire population, and dispel any fears that newcomers may have of the police. The Department hopes that after the expiration of the grant, the project would be implemented into every day operations.

About Saheli
Saheli, a community-based women’s organization in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, was founded in 1996. Their mission is to empower South Asian women and their families to live safe and healthy lives. Led by a small staff and a cadre of dedicated volunteers, Saheli is uniquely focused on the needs of South Asians – from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In its 18-year history Saheli has helped thousands of women reclaim their lives, protect their families, and secure brighter futures.

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