In September 2019, we released The State of Police Reform report, which tracked movement on changes in the law enforcement space since the killing of Michael Brown Jr. and the release of the Ferguson Commission report.
For several years, we continued to convene conversations through the Power Behind the Badge Series to understand community needs and the limitations of our current arrest-and-incarcerate model. These conversations led us to advocate for a two-year First Responder Alternative (FRA) Pilot Program (a.k.a. Civilian First Responder Pilot) in St. Louis County.
2022
Implementation of FRA Program in St. Louis County
FTF Storytelling & Communications Team partners with The Dream Creative, Humans of St. Louis, My Friends and I, and StoryFirst to produce storytelling components, create #Transforming911 Community Accountability & Advocacy Tool digital home, and design #Transforming911 report
FTF publicly launches #Transforming911 Community Accountability & Advocacy Tool
2022
#Transforming911
FTF Storytelling & Communications Team partners with The Dream Creative, Humans of St. Louis, My Friends and I, and StoryFirst to produce storytelling components, create #Transforming911 Community Accountability & Advocacy Tool digital home and design #Transforming911 report
FTF publicly launches #Transforming911 Community Accountability & Advocacy Tool
Imagine you’ve got an emergency. Maybe someone you love is having a mental health crisis. Maybe you hear a disturbance in your neighborhood.
What if you could call 911 and have a dispatcher assess the situation, then send a team of civilian first responders who arrive at the scene in a well-equipped FRA van?
The team of civilian responders could work together to secure the scene, conduct a brief mental health assessment, ask the person what support or services they might need, and give the person in distress a care package – with food, hand warmers, a bottle of water, and socks – as well as make a referral to a social services provider in the area.
This isn’t the norm in St. Louis right now, but it is in places like Denver, San Francisco, Oakland, and Eugene, and it is something that we could also achieve through the creation of a Civilian First Responder Program in the St. Louis area.
- A community-based and trauma-informed approach to public safety that promotes residents' dignity, autonomy, and health.
- Faster 911 call response times.
- Fewer interactions between residents and armed law enforcement officers.
- Holistic and health-centered approaches to mental illness and substance use.
- Streamlined connections between residents and highly trained service providers.
INVITE US TO SPEAK
Forward Through Ferguson is a founding member of the Defund. Re-envision. Transform. coalition.
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