Photo Courtesy of Greenfield Police Department
By KENNEDY GRIFFIN
(Greenfield, MA) Greenfield Police Officer Laura Gordon will be taking an unpaid leave of absence starting July 1st. This decision has been made in response to the $400,000 cut to the Greenfield Police Department’s wages and salaries.
Officer Gordon has said, “After much soul searching, I have decided to step away from my duties as a Greenfield police officer so that a junior officer who would otherwise be furloughed because of recent budget cuts can remain on the force.” Under current union terms, Officer Gordon can take up to one year of unpaid leave before deciding to return to her position.
The Greenfield Police’s Comfort Dog program is overseen by Officer Gordon, but will be discontinued July 1st as well after budget cuts. The Comfort Dog program was the “first in the nation and has become nationally recognized for its contributions to community response policing, especially during times of crisis, such as at the Boston Marathon bombing, and the Sandy Hook and Las Vegas shootings,” said Mayor Wedegartner. The comfort dogs Clarence, Donut, and Ripon will stay with the Gordon family after the end of the program.
Officer Gordon hopes to return to the department next year if the budget issues are resolved. “The most difficult part of this decision is the feeling that I am letting down the people of Greenfield and the proactive approach to community policing to which I have dedicated my career, but I firmly believe this is the best course of action for the future of the Greenfield Police Department,” said Officer Gordon.