A local attorney has been chosen to be the first neighborhood liaison at UMass Amherst.
Eric Beal, a Umass Amherst graduate and former chair of the Amherst Zoning Board of Appeals will work with university and town officials to respond to incidents and complaints involving off-campus student behavior.
Beal said he will promote proactive programs, perform mediation and be a mainstay in the neighborhoods that traditionally find large student gatherings on nights and weekends.
"If I see a potential problem developing,then I can decide whether to intervene or seek police backup," he explained.
The new position was a key recommendation from former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis , who was hired by the university to consult on how to handle large off-campus disturbances in the wake of the infamous 2014 “ Blarney Blowout”
