COMMUNITY RESPONDERS PILOT PROGRAM NEEDED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY

Hola, nuestro Amigos! Esperamos poder comenzar un programa con más seguridad, justicia y paz para la comunidad con un programa piloto de Respondedores Comunitarios. We hope that we can begin a program with more security, justice, and peace for the community with a pilot Community Responders program.

As described before in this column (from its brochure): “Community responder teams (CRTs) are first responders, just like firefighters and police officers. They are health professionals (typically EMTs, nurses, social workers, or other mental health clinicians) and trained peers. Including both professionals and peers ensures that teams have the necessary expertise and lived experience to assess and resolve crisis and non-crisis situations related to health and social issues—primarily mental health, substance use, homelessness, poverty, and other social disturbances or quality of life concerns.”

The need is clear. We’ve seen deaths of unarmed young men of color at the hands of – and/or in the custody of – the police. Locally: Jose Hernandez-Rossy, was killed by Buffalo police during a routine traffic stop; Wardel “Meech” Davis, died while in police custody.

Police presence can escalate situations. Willie Henley, a man with mental health issues, was shot by police as an ever-growing group of them pursued him. He was well-known in the neighborhood and not aggressive.

The police uniform itself is often a “trigger,” activating fight-flight-freeze responses. Even police officers have said they’ve felt alarmed when approached by a uniformed officer while they are out of uniform. The presence of a gun is another stress – and risk-escalator.

An agitated woman jumped from a second story, with scissors, barefoot in a t-shirt in the snow. She was surrounded by police for hours and finally bolo-wrap lassoed and tackled by the group – all touted as a success. Despite the incident being fielded by the Buffalo Police Department/BPD’s Behavioral Health Team, socks, slippers, a blanket, and something warm to drink, were not made available.  Numerous cities have Community Responders programs, tailored to their particular community and its needs (e.g., Eugene, OR [since 1989, no death or serious injury]; Denver CO [led to 34% crime reduction]; San Francisco CA; Atlanta GA; and more). We can do this in Buffalo and Erie County. It will allow police to do what they do best – deal with crime – and let the community responders do what they do best –attend to people’s needs. There’s an action toolkit at linktr.ee/CommunityResponders4EC.

On March 6, Talking Peace with the WNY Peace Center will livestream at 7:15 pm on our Facebook page. Guests include social worker Colleen Kristich (Partnership for the Public Good), and Erica Seymour, mental health professional, formerly with BPD’s Behavioral Health Team, now a plaintiff in a case about the racism displayed by the former team captain, and the failure of the BPD to resolve the situation. This attests to the need to leave the counseling and de-escalation to the professionals. The show will rebroadcast on WBNY 91.3FM on Monday, March 11, at Noon; and be housed on the WNYPC’s Youtube channel. Si, se puede!!