US police officer killed despite promises of reform after George Floyd killing At least 1,247 people There will be more in 2023 than in any year in over a decade. These deaths are symptoms of: disease Instead, it was born out of investing in reactive punishment. violence prevention and support service. Chicago provides an exemplary case study of the consequences of such investments and how to reverse them.
the city spent $295 million The aim is to solve more than 1,000 cases of suspected police misconduct between 2019 and 2022. This comes as the police department, long trusted by lawmakers as a comprehensive agency to respond to mental health, social and economic crises, pronounced heritage of corruption, torture, racist brutality and Relationship with white supremacy.
It is appropriate to blame the Chicago Police Department. continuous failure To make meaningful reforms. CPD is also set up to fail unless reforms are made not only within the city itself but also in the city’s budget decisions, particularly the chronic overinvestment in the police force and underinvestment in the Chicago Department of Public Health. It is also important to understand that this is unlikely to change.
Over the past 30 years, attention has focused on Intensive privatization of public health The city is sending billions of dollars to the private sector. exploitative non-profit organization Rather than investing in a durable public healthcare system based on rights rather than charity. Until the 1990s, CDPH operated 19 mental health centers. Only five remain today. The position of CDPH is 60% reduction since 2000meanwhile police funding has increased rapidly. Currently, little support infrastructure remains to prevent or respond to symptoms of poverty, isolation, and medical exclusion.
of thousands of calls The mental health component that CPD deals with on a monthly basis leaves officers frustrated. Police are being forced to deal with problems for which they are not trained. Under these circumstances, many police officers feel that lost heart And he was betrayed by his boss. In its July 2022 report, CPD said: Approximately 1,800 open positionsmost often unfulfilled for years.
After many years of labor, Union In the organizers’ opinion, Treatment Not Trauma aims to change that. Non-traumatic treatment, I have been working with community wellness collaborators. designwe are aiming for Build a community care system operated by CDPH Taking mental health and behavioral crises off the CPD plate.it goes around Three interdependent parts: A transformative model for mental health provision led by non-police crisis response, community care centers and community care workers. Mayor Brandon Johnson has embraced the program as one of his core priorities, convening a task force this month that is expected to make recommendations on the implementation of “Treatment Not Trauma.”
Non-traumatic treatments apply A public health model for shared community mental health and safety It starts with the recognition that crisis response is most effective and least necessary when it is interwoven with crisis prevention. Based on relationships. Therefore, this program is designed around hiring, training, and appropriately remunerating non-professional care workers to work within the community. collaboration In collaboration with a professional mental health worker, we will:
- Provides non-police mobile crisis response.
- Prevent crises by providing supportive daily care to neighbors who are most at risk for mental health and social crises, violence, police encounters, and hospitalization.
Approach to public health for mental health invest resources in hire community members to provide care Rather than simply focusing on expanding clinical services, which are underutilized in the U.S..But there is ~ Rich evidence from International context of their effect, especially in of face of Lack of existing services and Expert It’s located in a black and brown neighborhood in Chicago.
To support this effort, “non-trauma treatment” includes reopening 14 city-run mental health centers, bringing the total number to 19, and providing comprehensive community services rather than traditional clinics. This includes redesigning it as a care center. It will be operated as a 24-hour walk-in facility. In order to foster community health, it also serves as a hub for community gatherings to rebuild the social fabric of a region suffering from division and mistrust.
But to make this happen, the city will need to rebalance its budget. evidence It shows that you are investing in Community-based health Infrastructure significantly reduces costs. One study Mobile crisis intervention services have been found to reduce hospitalization costs by: 79% in the 6 months following each crisis call. EInfer suggests that non-police crisis response programs can: $537 million in annual savings It would cost $279 million if implemented throughout Cook County and $279 million if limited to Chicago. This is not surprising, as the data shows. each dollar invested prevention creates quadruple or five times return, and 2017 systematic review We found that every $1 invested in health protection interventions resulted in $34 in savings.
From a criminal legal perspective, almost all research If you take precautions, the benefits far outweigh the costs. 2022 study Results found in Denver’s non-police crisis response system similar to those included in non-trauma treatment Low-level crime decreased by 34% And, “The direct costs of having police as first responders to individuals in mental health or substance abuse crises are more than four times the costs associated with community response models.”
It is not a trauma treatment. popularity among voters Well established. What remains to be seen is whether the Johnson administration will make the major investments needed in the program and accelerate its unfortunately slow start.Mr. Johnson Significant increase in police funding Although the allocation to CDPH remains relatively unchanged in the 2024 budget; I was wary organizer They are concerned about his commitment to non-trauma treatment, particularly building community care units. To maintain their support, Mr. Johnson must now move quickly to realize the program’s vision.
We must stop using the police as a scapegoat for politicians’ choices to defund the public health system. Police reform is too important and too difficult to be left to the police alone.
Meaningful reform requires investment in support systems to reduce the enormous footprint of policing and punishment. City Hall should follow the evidence and build the infrastructure necessary for all of us, including police officers, to live safely in fear and isolation.
eric reinhartM.D. is a psychoanalytic clinician and political anthropologist in law, psychiatry, and public health.
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