The best proposal I've heard argues for splitting up the role of police into two parts, one of which is emergency response, and one of which is violence work- doing violence on people who are an imminent threat to others.
The emergency response would be more like a cross between handymen and social workers. Programs like CAHOOTS in Eugene, OR are already remarkably successful at relieving the police force of 50% of their calls.
Violence workers shouldn't come out until someone is threatening another person's life. And they shouldn't be the first line of response; no one should just be able to basically SWAT somebody else. The lesson from the death penalty should be better internalized: if it is wrong for individuals to kill, it is wrong for the state to kill, unless the threat is severe and persistent.
There's a video from England of an erratic person brandishing a long knife, and the police draw him into a sort of impasse until they get a delivery of riot shields and knock him to the ground and box him in. That is exactly how it should end, with the dangerous person disarmed and no one hurt.
The best proposal I've heard argues for splitting up the role of police into two parts, one of which is emergency response, and one of which is violence work- doing violence on people who are an imminent threat to others.
The emergency response would be more like a cross between handymen and social workers. Programs like CAHOOTS in Eugene, OR are already remarkably successful at relieving the police force of 50% of their calls.
Violence workers shouldn't come out until someone is threatening another person's life. And they shouldn't be the first line of response; no one should just be able to basically SWAT somebody else. The lesson from the death penalty should be better internalized: if it is wrong for individuals to kill, it is wrong for the state to kill, unless the threat is severe and persistent.
There's a video from England of an erratic person brandishing a long knife, and the police draw him into a sort of impasse until they get a delivery of riot shields and knock him to the ground and box him in. That is exactly how it should end, with the dangerous person disarmed and no one hurt.
This is what’s lacking in getting the messaging out. Thank you for being too the point and simple.