AMHERST — Earl Miller, Amherst’s director of the unarmed police alternative Community Responders for Equity, Safety and Service department, is on paid administrative leave until the completion of an independent investigation, according to town officials.

An email from Brianna Sunryd, who handles communications on behalf of Town Manager Paul Bockelman, confirmed that Miller’s leave is pending an investigation into the operation of the CRESS program.

“This leave will continue until the completion of the investigation, which is being done by an independent outside investigator,” Sunryd wrote.

When Miller’s leave began was not immediately clear last Friday.

“Because this is an internal personnel matter the Town will not be making any further comment,” Sunryd wrote.

This action should not affect the operation of the CRESS program, the statement from Town Hall reads, noting that its members “are eager to fulfill their responsibility to the community and the residents that they serve. Town Manager Paul Bockelman has met with the members of the CRESS department and has full confidence in the program and its members.”

At-Large Town Councilor Ellisha Walker, who co-chaired the Community Safety Working Group that recommended the formation of the community responders program, said CRESS remains critical to public safety in Amherst.

“While I cannot comment specifically on personnel-related issues, I would like to add that CRESS continues to be an essential piece of the town’s public safety network, and that I am dedicated to its overall success and longevity, and will continue to work on supporting its success,” Walker said.

CRESS operates from the upper floor of the Bangs Community Center, at 70 Boltwood Walk, and partners with mental health agencies tto work with individuals in need of counseling.

No additional information was available from Bockelman, who is on vacation this week, or Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek, as to the nature of the investigation.

Efforts to reach Miller on his cellphone and via email were unsuccessful. An email response stated, “Earl is away from the office without access to email.”

Miller, 37, began working for the town March 21, 2022, months before the eight community responders and an assistant were sworn in on July 5, 2022. The four multiracial teams then trained under Miller before beginning work in the community last September. They are supposed to handle responses to incidents that don’t involve violence or serious crime, focused on areas such as mental health, homelessness, substance abuse, trespass, truancy, wellness checks, youth and schools.

Before Miller was hired by the town, he was the regional director of recovery for the state Department of Mental Health since December 2017. A Holyoke native, he described CRESS as offering “hopefulness” to those in the community.

“I am committed to approaching this work from a genuine place, to honor the dignity inherent in people, and to do hard work with a joyful heart,” Miller said at the time.

Miller’s previous work also has included being coordinator of peer roles for the Center for Human Development and leading trainings in topics such as culturally appropriate services and hiring, trauma and resilience and LGBTQ supports, as well as his lived experience, having once been homeless and having founded and developed programs to get permanent, affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness.

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