The Boston Police Department’s (BPD’s) Office of Research and Development (ORD) is working to expand the HUB community policing model to more neighborhoods within the City of Boston. The Hub Model is a new way of utilizing and mobilizing resources already in place in different, unified, and dynamic ways to address specific situations of elevated risk before there is an incident that requires emergency response. The Hub does not perform case management. Its purpose is to mitigate risk within 24-48 hours and connect individuals and families to services. Case management functions remain with the most appropriate agency as determined by the Hub Table, which convenes weekly within the given neighborhood where the services and clients reside. To date the BPD partners with Mass Housing, the East Boston Health Center and up to 50 additional service providing agencies to do this work.
The Hub’s Mission is to work with individuals and families that are facing complex challenges and who may need services from more than one community agency. Organizations that form the neighborhood Hub Tables work together to ensure families and individuals are safe, healthy and have the opportunity to thrive.
Since 2018, the BPD has implemented the HUB Table Model in Districts A-7/East Boston and E-13/Jamaica Plain. Both Districts have had great success achieving their mission, linking high risk individuals and families to a wide range of comprehensive services in their neighborhoods, while simultaneously reducing repeat 911 calls for service.
Each Monday in June 2021, HUB Table trainings will take place for Districts C-11/Dorchester, B-2/Roxbury, and B-3/Mattapan, along with their service providing community partners. Captain Dave Bachelor and Dan Cortez of the Chelsea Police Department, who are Certified HUB Trainers, will provide the training, and breakfast and lunch will be provided. Those three Districts will launch the operation of their new HUB Tables in July 2021. Community service staff in districts C-6/South Boston and D-4/Back Bay will also be trained in June, with the option to launch their new HUBs within the upcoming year.
If interested in attending any one of these HUB Table trainings, please reach out to Kimberly Miller, Citywide Hub Program Coordinator, of the BPD/ORD at kimberly.miller@pd.boston.gov