COMMENTARY: The Plan for Transforming Public Safety and Policing in the U.S.
One transformative public safety plan is currently moving forward in Ithaca, New York. It will replace the current police department with a new public safety department that will include armed officers and unarmed crisis intervention specialists. It would allow police officers to be more focused and effective while minimizing the chances that police-civilian interactions will spiral unnecessarily into violence. By Ben Jealous, President of People For the American Way Communities all across the country are facing public safety crises. Crime is rising in ways that leave many people feeling unsaf...