this post was submitted on 25 Apr 2025
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Here in Portland, Oregon the city has a relatively new agency called Portland Street Response, tasked with responding to non-emergency calls located in public places. They have social work and related training, show up with a big van full of supplies, are unarmed, and trained in de-escalation. Sometimes if the call holds the possibility of escalating, they will show up with an armed police officer who's job is to be on the periphery if needed. The program has been wildly successful and popular, is expending, and it's largest most vocal opposition is... The Portland Police Bureau.
That all sounds awesome aside from the last sentence - I'm keen to know the rationale for their opposition.
I can only imagine that there's a concern that the Portland Street Response may be putting themselves at undue risk with the most volatile of clients... but even I can feel my back twitch from the amount of reaching I'm doing there!
Well if there's a weapon involved - Unstable person waving around a knife in public for instance, which is fairly common - It's automatically an emergency and PSR isn't involved (Which ironically means it has a much lower response rate, as the cops here are bad at showing up in time for emergency calls). I think the police are opposed to it because 1) It's money that might otherwise go to PPB, who already get millions of dollars in budget expansion every year and more importantly 2) It puts the lie to the myth that you need an intimidating security force with weapons to respond to all incidents when e.g. an unarmed 40 year old woman can diffuse a seemingly violent individual possibly in psychosis by offering them a peanut butter sandwich, asking them when the last time they napped was, and sitting down with them on a bench to talk about their feelings and issues for a half hour.
Yeah 100% on board with that. I think it's a great thing.
I'm just struggling to get my head around the police department's objection when Seattle-area cops generally generate more chill news than fuckups (not that good interactions make the news in any departmental arew really); and the introduction of this social work unit would likely take a huge chunk out of their workload (again an assumption based on UK style policing, apologies).
All very bizarre but yes, a huge step in the right direction. Love it.