Sending Unarmed Responders Instead of Police: What We’ve Learned
Sending Unarmed Responders Instead of Police: What We’ve Learned
There are more than 100 response teams nationwide, but experts say more research on their impact is needed.
tl;dr, we need more time examples and research to say anything authoritative, but anecdotally things look very positive. One excerpt,
There have been no known major injuries of any community responder on the job so far, according to experts. And data suggests unarmed responders rarely need to call in police. In Eugene, Oregon, which has operated the Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (known locally as CAHOOTS) response team since 1989, roughly 1% of their calls end up requiring police backup, according to the organization. Albuquerque responders have asked for police in 1% of calls, as of January. In Denver, the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) team had never called for police backup due to a safety issue as of July 2022, the most recent data available. In Durham, members of the Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Team (HEART) reported feeling safe on 99% of calls.
Many communities are still sending alternative responders to a narrow subset of calls, and debating whether it’s safe to expand their scope. For example, many cities will only send community responders to situations that are outdoors or in public spaces. Programs are also divided on whether disputes between neighbors or within families are a proper place for crisis responders, or calls involving suicidal threats.
HEART is Durham NC's program and they have seen positive results. For some reason not sending uneducated dips shits with guns is dangerous.
It's almost absurd how often America decides the answer to a problem is "asshole with a gun." Drug overdose? Asshole with a gun. Find out someone broke into your car? Asshole with a gun. Someone trying kill themselves? Asshole with a gun. Your grandma hasn't been heard from in a few days on the other side of the country? Believe it or not, asshole with a gun
How else will they protect themselves from falling acorns or boil pots of water? #copslivesarealwaysindanger
In Portland it's called "Portland Street Response" and so far, the #1 thing holding them back is they are prevented from being able to commit someone.
So, say I call 911 because someone is passed out on the sidewalk outside my house, that's the ideal thing for PSR.
They determine it's not an OD or other medical emergency, not much else they can do.
" In Multnomah County, 258 people may perform involuntary holds. Portland Street Response workers can’t.
That’s because county officials won’t let them.
For two years, PSR leaders have wanted that authority. The county still refuses—and it’s not entirely clear why."
Maybe because involuntary commitment does more harm than good? It was all the rage in the 19th century.
A 2022 study on Denver’s STAR team found a 34% drop in low-level crime in neighborhoods where the team was operating, compared to neighborhoods where it had not yet been rolled out.
This program is the difference between helping people, and jailing them. Fantastic, send my tax dollars to these programs, please!
Macias from Atlanta noted that without increasing other social services, like housing and mental health care, the teams risk being merely a Band-Aid for people in crisis. “There’s a lot of pressure put on these response agencies without the local government building up the destination and infrastructure that people need,” she said. “Sure, expand these response teams 24/7, but make sure that at 11 p.m. on a Sunday there’s actually a place to bring somebody to get their needs met. Otherwise you’re just making yourself feel better. But the problem’s not being solved.”
A very salient point, these programs need funding! Let's divert half the police budget to them, maybe then that money will actually help our communities, instead of being used to terrorize them.
The more that police specialize in (and glorify) violent combat scenarios, the less useful and valuable they are to the public. We need trained responders.
I blame the backlash from 9/11. Before 2001, most cops saw themselves as police officers, Afterwards they all became anti-terrorism warriors.