Read Full Article | View Source
Instead of dispatching armed police officers, Akron officials are exploring the possibility of a civilian response to 911 calls that involve non-violent disputes, mental health crises and more.
City Council’s Reimagining Public Safety Committee dedicated an hour last week to the idea that trained social service and mental health care workers — working with police or on their own — could mediate better outcomes while freeing up officers to focus limited time and resources on priority calls and criminal investigations.
While nothing formal has been proposed, the head of the police union says someone will get hurt with this “warm and fuzzy way to defund the police.” Proponents argue that culturally competent civilians with ties to the community could serve as “credible messengers” who help to break the cycle of addiction and homelessness. And other cities have been doing this for months or even decades with no tragic outcomes…
