Councilor describes what Minneapolis with fewer police could look like

[killaphill]

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/councilor-describes-what-minneapolis-with-fewer-police-could-look-like

Very interesting article. Hopefully a model for the rest of the nation so we de-militarize the streets. Some highlights?

- County mental health professionals sent to mental health calls, not police officers.

– Using fire department EMTs to respond to opioid overdose calls.

– The use of "unarmed, community-oriented street teams" on weekend nights downtown "to focus on de-escalation."

– Traffic enforcement turned over to cameras and potentially parking enforcement teams.

– And while there was no specific reference made to plans for handling violent crime, Fletcher says the council would "invest in cultural competency and mental health training, de-escalation and conflict resolution."

[Squinch]

1. So likely they would keep a much smaller, better trained and more competent, less militarized

police force to handle violent crime.

That sounds reasonable.

[stillcool]

2. could open up a few jobs..

I could sit in my car on the side of the road, while the roads are getting fixed, and even when they're not. Cost a lot less money. I could even direct cars in a parking lot.