“The current approach to public safety is not working for children, for families, and particularly for Black and brown communities that have been devastated by mental health crises, substance use health crises, and criminalization,” said Monifa Bandele, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Moms Rising. "We must reimagine our public safety system’s instinct to criminalize and replace it with an instinct to be thoughtful, strategic, and rooted in providing appropriate care and response."
As the saying goes, everything looks like a nail when you're a hammer. Police officers are rarely trained as behavioral, medical, or mental health experts. They are militarized, armed, and primed for conflict. When seeking assistance, you expect qualified professionals. Public safety is no different; any number of needs would be better met by experts in the field such as licensed social workers, mental health counselors, and substance use counselors rather than by a cop.
Instead, police serve as a catch-all despite being ill-equipped to safely and effectively serve our communities. As a result, people experiencing a mental health crisis, for example, are more likely to have contact with law enforcement than to get any support or treatment. In 2020, Chicago's Cook County Jail, the Los Angeles County Jail, and New York's Rikers Island jail complex held more people with severe mental health conditions than any dedicated treatment facility in the country. As a nation, we've prioritized incarceration over treatment.
There's a brighter, more compassionate path forward. U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, a former nurse, has reintroduced the People's Response Act. The legislation takes a new approach to public safety, tackling issues like substance abuse and mental health from a public health perspective. Such practices are vital for community protection and ensuring adequate support resources.
Help demonstrate broad support for safety with dignity. Sign on as a grassroots cosponsor of the People's Response Act.
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