An Alternative To Police That Police Can Get Behind

The ongoing debate surrounding the defunding of police departments in American cities, ignited by the killing of George Floyd.
The topic remains contentious, eliciting responses across the spectrum of public opinion.

Main Issues: - Defunding vs. Reform: "Defund the police" serves as a slogan focusing on removal rather than alternatives. - Barack Obama's View: Referred to it as a “snappy slogan” that could alienate more people opposed to reform. - Rationale for Defunding: Proponents argue police are overburdened with addressing societal issues unsuitable for law enforcement solutions, highlighting police violence as a critical concern.

Daniel Prude (Rochester, NY): - Joe Prude called 911 for help with his brother Daniel's erratic behavior. Instead of assistance, officers applied a mesh hood and restrained him until his death due to asphyxia. - Joe Prude expressed his distress, stating, "I didn’t call them to come help my brother die."
Shooting of 13-Year-Old (Salt Lake City): - A mother called for help to transport her autistic son to the hospital; police pursued and shot the child multiple times, despite the mother's warnings. - Both incidents reveal critical failures in police response to mental health crises.

Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets (CAHOOTS): - Established in Eugene, Oregon, CAHOOTS has been a model for alternatives in emergency response, primarily addressing mental health and substance-related incidents without police involvement. - Funding and Operation: - Operates with unarmed outreach workers, contributing only 2% of the Eugene Police Department's $66 million budget. - Recently gaining interest from various cities as a model to reduce police workload and the potential for violence.

CAHOOTS has been acknowledged in multiple cities, gaining traction as the federal government considers the CAHOOTS Act to provide Medicaid funding for similar programs.
An example of successful alternative emergency response that doesn't necessitate police involvement, focusing on safety and health crises.

Founding: - Began in 1968 when Dennis Ekanger and Frank Lemons recognized a need for community help with substance abuse crises. - Initial responses were informal until formal organization emerged following a meeting with local healthcare providers.
Bummer Squad: - The precursor to CAHOOTS, responding to drug-related calls with trained volunteers to provide help without police engagement.
Integration with Police: - Initial hesitance from both CAHOOTS and police evolved into a collaborative effort despite differing cultures; police began to appreciate CAHOOTS's utility in responding to drug and mental-health issues.

Staffing and Response: - Teams consist of a medic and a crisis worker, focused on proactive outreach without immediate police involvement. - CAHOOTS operates under a non-hierarchical structure fostering consensus-based decision-making.
Community Impact: - Serviced calls from vulnerable populations, with 60% of CAHOOTS calls related to homelessness, mental health, and substance issues.

The average response time for CAHOOTS exceeds police response time, highlighting the need for additional resources to improve efficiency. - CAHOOTS averages an hour and 56 minutes for 15,000 calls, compared to the police’s hour and 11 minutes for 46,000 calls.

CAHOOTS operates under restrictions that limit its engagement in violent or criminal situations. - Misalignment of call categorization between police and CAHOOTS results in delays or inappropriate responses.
Dependency on Local Systems: - CAHOOTS's effectiveness relies heavily on the existing social service network, which may not be as robust in larger or more diverse urban areas, posing risks for scalability across different cities.

The national conversation regarding police reform has been shaped by public sentiments of fear and mistrust surrounding police interactions, especially in racial contexts.
Examples include tragic outcomes from police responses to mental health crises across various cases, reinforcing calls for systemic change in how communities respond to such issues.

CAHOOTS represents a viable alternative model for handling emergencies that require mental health or social work expertise, reducing the burden on police while promoting safety.
The potential future implementations in larger urban areas signal a critical shift towards community-based solutions in crisis intervention, particularly with ongoing discussions around police funding and resource allocation.