"Reimagine safety
A project of the Editorial Board, in conversation with outside voices."
A project of the Editorial Board, in conversation with outside voices."
"But the fiercest and potentially most consequential debate is over mounting a more fundamental response to these tragically familiar incidents. The discussion has been dominated by disagreements over the meaning and merit of “defunding the police.” Some interpretations of the provocative slogan are concerning, but as we wrote over the summer, the mantra is helpful as shorthand for an essential truth: We need to reimagine public safety.
Today, community activists and law enforcement officers who see eye to eye on precious little agree on this: We rely too much on the police. From the proverbial cat stuck in a tree to an armed hostage crisis, police are the first port of call for a dizzying array of dilemmas. In the words of a former Dallas police chief, “Every societal failure, we put it off on the cops to solve. Not enough mental health funding, let the cops handle it. … Here in Dallas we got a loose dog problem; let’s have the cops chase loose dogs. Schools fail, let’s give it to the cops. … That’s too much to ask. Policing was never meant to solve all those problems.”
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2021/reimagine-safety/?itid=hp_op-project-full-width
A good pre-read before participating in the Community Conversation scheduled for March 24 on Police Reform
For info on the Community Conversations: Police Reform visit:
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| "We should think about public safety the way we think about public health" |
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