District of Columbia Being Sued for Sending Armed Police To Mental Health Emergencies
Bread for the City, a D.C. nonprofit that provides food, medical, and social services to low-income residents, has filed a lawsuit against the city for sending armed D.C. police officers as “default” first responders to mental health crises Filed with the D.C. American Civil Liberties Union and the law firm Sheppard Mullin, the suit argues […]
“Reimagining the police”
“Alternatives to public safety are gaining momentum, but activists worry many of these ‘alternatives’ still involve police and don’t address root causes.“ This piece by the Boston Globe tells the story of the author’s encounter with the police during and five of them arrested a young black man outside of her home. “I thought something’s […]
“‘Tremendously traumatized’ Houston police face the growing problem of domestic violence”
Lietenant Julie Pleasant is part of the Houston PD Domestic Abuse Response Team, which is made up of units including a “trauma-informed” police officer and a victims’ advocate. Primary officers handle arrest, DART units”focus soley on the victim.” Watch the video for more information on policing and domestic violence.
Police Reform in Minnesota
Minnesota’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board recently presented changes to policy governing police and sheriff’s departments for review by the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings. Two and a half years after Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd on May 25, 2020, and eighteen months after Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter and sentenced […]
Canada: The BC Federation of Labour Calls for Policing Alternatives
Several historic resolutions supporting Indigenous rights were considered at this year’s convention. “‘We have to come to terms with the violence that the police have on our people,’ Marjorie Dumont, a BC Teachers’ Federation delegate and a Wet’suwet’en member, told BC Federation of Labour conference attendees on Tuesday.” Reporting for the Tyee, Zak Vescera and […]
Maryland police to host traffic stop practice for disabled drivers & pedestrians
“Giving an individual who may have a disability the opportunity to have that first traffic stop, be in a controlled environment,” said Laurie Reyes, the Montgomery County Police Autism IDD Alzheimer’s and Dementia Unit Police Officer. “It’s more of a hands-on of, you know, what do you do when you get pulled over. Do you […]
Increased Demand in Mental Health Services Creating Shortfalls Within Crisis Assistance
(Eugene, OR) Eugene’s alternatives to armed police response, including White Bird Clinic’s nationally lauded CAHOOTS program, are an example of best practices but aren’t without challenges. CAHOOTS stands for Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets. The service operated completely separate from EPD for the first two decades but began its first shift funded by […]
Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative (PAD) Redefines Public Safety
The Georgia Voice: “PAD is an Atlanta-based organization that offers alternative policing and strives to mend a system to leads people to experience extreme poverty, substance use, and mental health crises. PAD, established in 2015 by Atlanta City Council, was founded by the Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative (SNaP Co), is led by trans and queer […]
Program Celebrates Success in Putting People in Treatment, Not Prison
Via Hartford Healthcare: “Pride was in the air Tuesday at the “Celebration of Success” reception for the Meriden Opioid Referral for Recovery (MORR) program, a partnership between first responders and Rushford that has helped put people in treatment instead of behind bars. Started in 2018 as a way to combat the opioid crisis, the MORR […]
The Alternative to Police That Is Proven to Reduce Violence: Why don’t more people trust it?
Mad In America: “San Francisco, which, unlike cities like Los Angeles and San Antonio, does not send cops out with its crisis response teams. The thinking is that counselors like Tautolo can more easily bridge the gap with neighbors who might be skeptical of a city-led effort. ‘The lived experience cannot be understated,’ says Kathleen Silk […]