GREENFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – In Franklin County, Greenfield residents advocated Wednesday to cut the budget of the city’s police department after a racial discrimination lawsuit.
Dozens attended a city council meeting, asking the city to cut the budget by one million dollars. This comes after a verdict found the Greenfield Police Department and Chief Robert Haigh Jr. discriminated against former Officer Patrick Buchanan. Buchanan was the department’s only Black officer at the time when he was denied a promotion.
Many voiced their concerns about the racial issue in the city.
“I would suggest any money that goes into an appeal be applied to changing the culture of our police force., I’m not calling for the firing of the Chief and Sergeant McCarthy. I would call for their demotion for sure. We should not have leadership in this town that has a reputation for racism,” said Wendy Goodman, a Greenfield resident.
As of this time, there is no decision from the city council on whether they would cut the budget. 22News will continue to cover this story as more information is given.