Successful Advocacy & Striving to Do Better
Mayor de Blasio made two important announcements this week, both related to retraining police officers.
The first, in connection with an issue we have worked on for two years (Communities for Crisis Intervention Teams), outlined new alternatives to hospitalization for people experiencing a mental health crisis. Community drop-off centers will be created and police officers taught “techniques for engaging people in respectful, non-stigmatizing interactions that de-escalate crises.”(1)
This is a huge victory for our advocacy efforts and we are excited to assist in the development of these new hospital diversion programs, which have proven effective in many other communities throughout the U.S.
At the same time, Eric Garner’s death is a stark reminder that when the police have any interaction with the public, the same standards of respect and compassion must apply. Mayor de Blasio’s second announcement described a new police training, in which officers “will be taught strategies to control ego and adrenaline... and given new guidance on how to persuade suspects to comply with arrest without the use of force.”(2)
For Community Access, these issues are deeply intertwined. Many members of our community understand firsthand the humiliations and dangers associated with being a “devalued” member of our society—people of color, LGBTQ, people living in poverty, the formerly incarcerated, and those with mental health or substance use concerns.
Previously, we have been hesitant about openly discussing these issues, viewing them to be too controversial or not central to our mission. But for an organization that believes in social justice and human rights, that's not good enough and I promise we will do a better job. For now I would simply encourage you to read this message posted by a member of our staff, Romie Grant.
Feel free to contact me to let me know what you think.
