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This City Stopped Sending Police to Every 911 Call

Christie Thompson

July 24, 2020 |

The Marshall Project |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Olympia, Washington

Since April 2019, Olympia’s Crisis Response Unit has sent civilian first-responders instead of police officers to hundreds of “quality of life” calls such as a mental health crisis or problems related to addiction or homelessness. Providing services while doing outreach on the streets, following up on previous calls, or dispatched by 911 operators or police, these responders connect people with the services they need to be safe and healthy, freeing police to handle more serious calls and avoiding police interactions that can lead to violence or needless jail stays.

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The Temporary Battle Against COVID-19 Taught This N.C. Native Community How to Combat a Longstanding Epidemic

Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle

July 22, 2020 |

100 Days in Appalachia |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Cherokee, North Carolina

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians reacted to COVID-19 with aggressive measures that yielded fewer illnesses than in neighboring counties, and no deaths, all without outside help. But one of their preventive measures – roadblocks severely limiting access to the Qualla Boundary, the band's territory – led to a surge in overdose deaths from fentanyl-laced heroin, because drug dealers responded with fewer shipments of more potent drugs. Overdoses eventually subsided with the roadblock lifted. The unintended consequence taught lessons about self-governance and unseen risks from within, not just from outside.

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Germany's coronavirus response is a master class in science communication

Christina Farr

July 21, 2020 |

CNBC |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany

To contain the spread of the coronavirus, Germany relied heavily on communication and information tactics that prioritized the voices of health and science officials. Although misinformation was still a problem for the country, the overall approach in enhancing scientific communication appears to have payed off given that country has one of the lowest mortality rates in Europe.

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Reducing harm in Santa Cruz County law enforcement

Stephen Baxter

July 15, 2020 |

Santa Cruz Local |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Santa Cruz, California

The city of Santa Cruz is considering adopting a crisis-intervention strategy used in Eugene, Oregon, after two fatal police shootings of people suffering a mental health crises prompted questions about how an alternative to police-only responses would work. To follow the model pioneered by Eugene's CAHOOTS agency, where unarmed professionals respond first, Santa Cruz authorities would have many safety, budget, training, and other logistical concerns to address. But Santa Cruz seems primed to try the CAHOOTS approach, which rarely requires police involvement when 911 calls are screened properly.

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Community peacemakers in Chicago offer a proven alternative to policing

Loretta Graceffo

July 14, 2020 |

Waging Nonviolence |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Nonviolence Chicago uses street-outreach workers to mediate disputes and connect residents of violence-prone neighborhoods to needed services. Its work, amounting to tens of thousands of contacts per year with people involved in violence, has contributed to efforts that reduced homicides and nonfatal shootings in the Austin neighborhood by nearly half from 2016 to 2019. By replacing the police with former gang members and others with street credibility, and working with both victims and shooters, Nonviolence Chicago wins the trust of residents.

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Premiers secours en santé mentale

Sandra Mignot

July 10, 2020 |

Solidarum |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: France

Depuis un peu plus d’un an, une formation accessible à tous est mise en place par l’association Premiers secours en santé mentale France. 1600 secouristes en santé mentale ont été formés en un peu plus d’un an (ainsi que 85 formateurs). Cette méthode importée d'Australie permet de rendre chaque citoyen en mesure de venir en aide à une personne de son environnement vivant des troubles psychiques. Une façon aussi de « déstigmatiser » ces troubles.

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Former D.C. inmates use virtual meetings for support, encouragement as they adjust to life outside prison

Keith L. Alexander

July 09, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

Freed from prison after serving at least 15 years, often much longer, for crimes committed when they were teens, a group of men holds twice-monthly Zoom meetings to lend structure and peer support to their lives during a time when COVID-19 restrictions foreclose other face-to-face meetings. Under Washington, D.C.’s Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act, 42 men have been released. At least 22 of them meet regularly to share leads on possible jobs, discuss their frustrations, and encourage each other to stay focused on the positive.

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The Love Lot: Where Step Up to the Plate offers free meals, live music, and medical attention to Kensington residents during COVID-19

Solmaira Valerio

July 07, 2020 |

Kensington Voice |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Step Up to the Plate is a collaborative effort of local organizations that began as a way to help those experiencing food insecurity due to Covid-19. Three outdoor sites have expanded to provide free meals, mental health and addiction resources, COVID-19 testing, live music and art to brighten people’s spirits, and help filling out stimulus check applications. The outdoor distribution site in Kensington gives out 560 healthy lunches a day. While the effort has brought to light just how bad things had gotten, it has also shown how effective organizations can be working together to meet the community’s needs.

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As protests against police brutality go global, these Latina moms fight in memory of their sons

Esmeralda Bermudez

July 07, 2020 |

Los Angeles Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles County, California

Mothers of young Latino men killed by sheriff’s deputies in East Los Angeles have struggled to pry information from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, but along the way they have formed a network of support groups helping fellow survivors cope with their grief and trauma. The loosely organized groups, populated mainly by women who hardly consider themselves activists, respond to the scenes of police shootings and engage with the mothers of victims in the weeks and months afterward. They have formed a sort of accountability watchdog brigade for a department that resists oversight.

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As COVID-19 Takes A Toll On Doctors' Mental Health, Nevada Psychiatrists Offer An Ear

Amanda Peacher

July 07, 2020 |

Boise State Public Radio (KBSX) |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Reno, Nevada

A new anonymous caller hotline launched in Nevada by volunteer psychiatrists to offer health-care workers a means of support as they work on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. Although it's yet to be seen what the impact will be of this effort, a similar hotline for law enforcement that was staffed by fellow police officers resulted in a higher likelihood for officers calling in.

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