More Than A Dozen Cities Push To Minimize Or Even Eliminate Police Presence At Mental Health Calls
LAPPL News Watch
June 7, 2021
More
than a dozen cities are developing "alternative" or "co-response"
programs to minimize or eliminate the role of police officers responding
to 911 calls involving mental health, homelessness, or substance abuse.
Thirteen cities just finished an eight-week "policy
sprint," coordinated by advocacy groups Everytown For Gun Safety and
What Works Cities.
The goal was for cities to develop pilot programs or
to nudge cities along that have already explored this model of 911
response. A handful of others are testing out programs on their own.
Interest in these programs has grown over the last few years and
intensifies each time a video surfaces showing an officer using force
during calls that begin with a person in some state of mental health or
drug-induced crisis.
There are only a few full-fledged programs in the
country aimed at sending mental health workers on calls with, or instead
of, police officers. The goal of the sprint was to connect workers in
mental health, law enforcement, social work and government from those 13
cities with experts from Eugene, Oregon, where a program developed 30
years ago is serving as a model for cities across the country.
1 comment:
This is one of those great warm-and-fuzzy ideas that might actually work much of the time. Unfortunately when it turns to shit it will do so rather spectacularly and there will be blood and bodies on the ground.
Post a Comment