[Shoresands]

Originally Posted by 72lions

That is exactly the point. We don’t need to be spending these kind of resources on calls that do not require police action. More importantly, the typical police officer is not trained or equipped to deal with issues that are non-violent.

With the exception of homelessness, well over 80% of calls for the rest are because the person has escalated a situation to a level that someone is afraid and scared or concerned enough to call 911 for help. How many abusive out of control drunks, drug abusers have some posters here gone out on the street and had to deal with them.....I thought not!

[NHsnow1]

I have worked with child protective workers. The work they do is heroic in trying to keep families together with education and support. When the need arises to remove children from the home, who do you think completes that task. A social worker with an armed officer!!
There’s a reason for that. This is just another poorly thought out knee jerk reaction that will have dire consequences!!

[17362]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Mayor Tim Keller announced on Monday that Albuquerque is creating a "first-of-its-kind" civilian public safety department that would use unarmed social workers, housing and homelessness specialists, and violence prevention coordinators to respond to certain 911 calls instead of police.
I think that some social workers will refuse to go into certain neighborhoods even if they were armed. And, how many female social workers are going to respond to a 911 call at night in a strange neighborhood. Who thinks this is a good idea?

What a joke. Social workers. I have been dealing with them for 45 years.
(mental issues with family members)
The last 5 months- total joke. Most of them are afraid of all of the unknowns. Straight out of college. The job is a high turnover. Sure, you get a few that last, but then they become desensitized to the issues. They say,”I just do my job- my hands are tied, etc.”
That job description is NOT a solution.

[allsport]

Until you try it, do not criticize it. Nurses do it every day without the assistance of the police. What needs to be done is to send these people with specialized easily seen identification, with police waiting outside giving the specialized non violent interventionists the opportunity to stop the crisis. Guns blazing fixes nothing and using people from their own community to be trained in the interventions would stop those concerns. As a student nurse, I was sent into the worst neighborhoods, alone, to do public health nursing. I carried a black bag which was my ticket into the neighborhood and I never had any problems and that was the fire bombing sixties.

[kendi]

Originally Posted by Bucco

Yes, it is. I applaud that city for opening dialogue to solve a problem. That is the way to solve problems.

You can do nothing, blame everyone else or open dialogue and create a newer, and hopefully better way to handle the problem.

Nobody is doing the latter, and thus it deserves a better presentation than your headline, which on this forum simply begins another round of judgements, etc.

Dialogue is good, this decision is not. Seems they forgot the most important stage when trying to brainstorm solutions - evaluate before choosing the solution. Very dangerous if they don't start looking closer at their decisions before implementing them.

[nututv]

Originally Posted by Shoresands

How many abusive out of control drunks, drug abusers have some posters here gone out on the street and had to deal with them.....I thought not!

I was in the Carnival business for 17 years. What would you like to be taught about? The employees or the marks?

[bilcon]

Boy, now I've heard it all. One of the worst call any policeman can make is domestic violence. They usually involve drugs or alcohol and usually lead to disaster for someone. Social workers can't even do their own job, now they are going to put more on their plate.

"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him had better take a much closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Mayor Tim Keller announced on Monday that Albuquerque is creating a "first-of-its-kind" civilian public safety department that would use unarmed social workers, housing and homelessness specialists, and violence prevention coordinators to respond to certain 911 calls instead of police.

I think that some social workers will refuse to go into certain neighborhoods even if they were armed. And, how many female social workers are going to respond to a 911 call at night in a strange neighborhood. Who thinks this is a good idea?

LOL, yep that’s going To work in Albuquerque NM with all the gangster’s

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by davem4616

this is one of the silliest ideas....no wait, one of the dumbest ideas that I've ever heard of

I've come across quite a few social workers in my time....all very nice caring people, but not one of them would be prepared for something like this

Albuquerque's Annual Hot Air Balloon launch had been on my bucket list....no longer

Actually the balloon fest outside of Albuquerque on the north west side of town. At least that were it was when I was there several years ago?

[Bucco]

Originally Posted by kendi

Dialogue is good, this decision is not. Seems they forgot the most important stage when trying to brainstorm solutions - evaluate before choosing the solution. Very dangerous if they don't start looking closer at their decisions before implementing them.

Not sure, but do not believe it was "implemented". It will require discussion and specifics.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by allsport

Until you try it, do not criticize it. Nurses do it every day without the assistance of the police. What needs to be done is to send these people with specialized easily seen identification, with police waiting outside giving the specialized non violent interventionists the opportunity to stop the crisis. Guns blazing fixes nothing and using people from their own community to be trained in the interventions would stop those concerns. As a student nurse, I was sent into the worst neighborhoods, alone, to do public health nursing. I carried a black bag which was my ticket into the neighborhood and I never had any problems and that was the fire bombing sixties.

You are talking about over 50 years ago. Things are totally different today. For one thing, there are a lot more people with guns. And, there is a lot more disrespect for any type of authority. I know people used drugs in the sixties, but I think the drug problem is even worse today. Apples and oranges.

[Velvet]

Originally Posted by allsport

Until you try it, do not criticize it. Nurses do it every day without the assistance of the police. What needs to be done is to send these people with specialized easily seen identification, with police waiting outside giving the specialized non violent interventionists the opportunity to stop the crisis. Guns blazing fixes nothing and using people from their own community to be trained in the interventions would stop those concerns. As a student nurse, I was sent into the worst neighborhoods, alone, to do public health nursing. I carried a black bag which was my ticket into the neighborhood and I never had any problems and that was the fire bombing sixties.

Happy to hear you survived. May it last.

[Velvet]

I was thinking “certain calls” could be so specific that they never actually get the “right type” of call.

[bilcon]

And when the specially trained Social Worker gets her or his a-- wipped, we can send in a police officer to solve the problem and then we can blame the police for the disaster. Good Idea.

[OhioBuckeye]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Mayor Tim Keller announced on Monday that Albuquerque is creating a "first-of-its-kind" civilian public safety department that would use unarmed social workers, housing and homelessness specialists, and violence prevention coordinators to respond to certain 911 calls instead of police.

I think that some social workers will refuse to go into certain neighborhoods even if they were armed. And, how many female social workers are going to respond to a 911 call at night in a strange neighborhood. Who thinks this is a good idea?

Seriously social workers, how are they going to get these slow people to talk to them. First of all they probably won’t understand what they’re trying to tell them in 2 mins. because that’s about as long as they’ll probably listen. Thanks for the article retiredguy123 ,I’m just amazed how scared our officials are that they are resorting to this. Personally I think it’s a big waste of time!