It’s coming up on a year since I wrote the article, “How We Can All Take Responsibility to Avoid Calling the Police,” for Filter magazine. My piece describes alternative practices for people who would rather avoid calling the police in crisis situations, including those that involve drugs or mental health issues, to help prevent escalating the situation and  getting someone shot.

There continues to be alarming instances of people being killed by US police in response to their struggles with mental health, addiction or homelessness, such as Walter Wallace Jr., a 27-year-old mentally ill Black man, whose death at the hands of police officers set off protests in Philadelphia last October. 

The US is bitterly dividing, in regards to many things. Among them is the effect of the phrase “Defund the Police,” which sounds like a long overdue measure for justice to some and a wild descent into lawlessness for others. 

It’s worth having a look at the post-election survey conducted by PerryUndem. They asked respondents “Would you support or oppose this idea: Police could focus on crimes like burglary and murder, and other service providers could focus on emergency calls about addiction, mental illness, and homelessness.” There was support across party lines and only 18% of respondents opposed the idea. 
It’s been encouraging to see more outlets picking up the same frame and supporting the recommendations I made in my piece, like this recent article in Vox.