Black Star News: Policing Reform: U.S. Rep. Bass, U.S. Sen. Van Hollen Reintroduce Community-Based Crisis Response Legislation
Monday, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and U.S. Representative Karen Bass (D-Calif.) reintroduced their legislation to improve our emergency response capabilities by creating systemic alternatives to police involvement in appropriate situations.
Their legislation, The Community-Based Response Act, creates a new Community-Based Emergency and Non-Emergency Response Grant Program through the Department of Health and Human Services to establish programs to encourage local governments to develop additional options, beyond law enforcement, for certain kinds of community-based emergency response. The bill will help provide for the dispatch of professionals trained in mental and behavioral health, crisis response, or mediation instead of law enforcement. Too often, dispatching law enforcement to emergencies where a use-of-force response is not warranted has resulted in unnecessary escalation and tragic death.
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“Community responder programs allow law enforcement to focus on their core public safety mission, provide people in crisis with assistance from trained mental health and behavioral health professionals, and prevent encounters between law enforcement and people in crisis that can lead to tragedy. We’ve seen this model work in cities across the country, and this funding will allow more communities across the country to build on that success. We are grateful that Senator Van Hollen and Representative Bass have taken the lead on this, and we hope their colleagues from both sides of the aisle will join in the effort to promote public safety,” said Justice Action Network President and Executive Director Holly Harris.