Police alternatives being examined for Sonoma County police departments

The Santa Rose Police Department is pursuing a program that operates 24/7 and would provide unarmed professionals trained in nonviolent interventions for specific responses. Some responses would include mental health emergencies and homelessness. Insufficient state and federal funding has lead to a lack of resources for individuals struggling with mental health. Currently, traditional beat cops and officers who oversee traffic enforcement would respond to homelessness and mental health crisis. Unfortunately, those officers are not specifically trained to handle these confrontations. More of this story here.