Alternatives to Policing: Unarmed Crisis Response and the Role of Social Workers

Police violence against Black bodies rightfully has forced society to look more closely at our policing and public safety practices. The #BlackLivesMatter movement has highlighted the racist origins of policing in this country, and how excessive use of force often targets Black people with deadly results. Disproportionately, police are forced to respond to social, economic, mental/physical health emergencies. Today, community leaders and elected officials are working together to “reimagine our public safety,” by creating, for example, “unarmed crisis response teams” who work alongside police departments. What is the role of social workers in this “reimagined” public safety system? Does our involvement violate any of the professional standards in our NASW Code of Ethics? Join us to hear from an array of panelists working on this issue in communities, including Assistant Professor at UM Social Work, Daicia Price; Chair of the Ann Arbor Independent Community Police Oversight Commission (ICPOC), Dr. Lisa Jackson, Senior Pastor of Vineyard Church Ann Arbor, and member of the Coalition for Re-envisioning our Safety (CORS), Donnell Wyche.

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