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In Dayton, unarmed mediators are responding to 911 calls that would normally be fielded by police officers. The idea came about through police reform talks in the wake of the George Floyd killing and the protests that followed. WYSO’s Jason Reynolds spent some time with one of the city’s new “Mediation Response Units.”
Not every dispute needs a police officer. That’s why the City of Dayton introduced its 911 alternative response in May. Since then the Mediation Response Unit has taken more than 400 calls to de-escalate nonviolent situations.