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Taking Mental Health Crises Out of Police Hands

Jenee Darden

November 01, 2021 |

70 Million |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

Until Oakland joins the list of cities sending counselors and social workers on emergency calls concerning mental health crises, a grassroots program called Mental Health First is diverting a small number of emergencies from police involvement to a community-based response. Hundreds of volunteers, many with their own experiences with mental illness and crises, answer dozens of calls per month in which they de-escalate, counsel, and direct people to needed services – all without the threat that a misunderstood person could be harmed by police untrained in correctly handling such crises.

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How a Group of Black Doctors Got Philadelphia Vaccinated

Linda Poon Jeff Green

October 28, 2021 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

More than half of Philadelphia’s Black residents were vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine due to the efforts of the Black Doctors Consortium: A group of health-care professionals that was present within the community through mobile-testing sites, general health checkups, and a presence that built trust during the pandemic. When the vaccine became available the Black Doctors Consortium was able to draw large numbers of people to their vaccination site.

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Building a just energy business future in Detroit

Nina Ignaczak

October 27, 2021 |

Planet Detroit |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

WeSolar makes solar power accessible to low-income residents by building and investing in community-solar farms and signing residents up for credits from investor-owned utilities. The startup, the first community solar business led by a Black woman, saves customers as much as $250 on their utility bills by signing up for community solar. Convincing residents, many of whom have had bad experiences with predatory utility schemes, requires working with church and community groups to earn trust. Community solar also requires legislation that allows for shared renewable energy projects.

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Plagued by fighting and other disturbances, RCSD reconsiders police presence

Justin Murphy

October 19, 2021 |

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Rochester, New York

During the 2020 social justice protests, Rochester city school leaders quickly acted to remove police officers from the schools. A long-time goal of school-discipline reformers, ending the use of school resource officers was meant to create openings for responses to student violence other than arrest or suspension. Eighteen months later, the school superintendent sought to increase a police presence in schools in light of a rise in fights among students. Reform advocates accused the district of failing to follow through with effective alternatives to the punitive responses to discipline problems.

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Building a Black-Owned Food Ecosystem in Detroit

Randiah Green

October 07, 2021 |

Belt Magazine |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

Programs like Motor City Match and Grown in Detroit help entrepreneurs launch Black-owned food businesses in Detroit. The businesses sell healthy foods in neighborhoods often lacking in nutritious options or in the infrastructure needed to support startup businesses. The supportive programs offer grants and training that have nurtured dozens of new businesses, which themselves have formed a supportive network among their peers.

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Dozens of states have tried to end qualified immunity. Police officers and unions helped beat nearly every bill.

Kimberly Kindy

October 07, 2021 |

The Washington Post |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Colorado

Fifteen months after Colorado became the first state to strip law enforcement officers of their legal immunity from civil lawsuits for misconduct on the job, only one lawsuit has been filed over a notorious incident and no real evidence has materialized that police department staffing will be gutted by resignations or recruiting problems. The 2020 social justice protest movement inspired dozens of proposed laws to end the practice called qualified immunity. All but Colorado's bill failed, based on dire warnings from police unions. The Colorado law exposes officers to damages up to $25,000.

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Police face a 'crisis of trust' with Black motorists. One state's surprising policy may help.

Simone Weichselbaum Emily R. Siegel Andrew Blankstein

October 07, 2021 |

NBC News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Virginia

A new Virginia law restricts when the police can stop motorists, limiting the chances for inequitable law enforcement. Barred from stopping vehicles based on minor infractions like a broken taillight, police in the first four months under the new law sharply reduced their stops of Black motorists. Police say such stops are a key tactic for getting guns, drugs, and dangerous people off the streets. But they also can be racially motivated, disproportionately punish people of color, and lead to violent confrontations. Many states and cities are considering dialing back traffic enforcement for these reasons.

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Austin wants to be a model of modern policing, but the future remains unclear

Tony Plohetski

October 04, 2021 |

KVUE-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Austin, Texas

After years of inaction on police reform measures, Austin city leaders raced to restructure and cut resources from the city's police department after the 2020 nationwide social justice protests followed close on the heels of another in a series of controversial police shootings in Austin. By freezing hiring of new officers and shifting $140 million to other agencies, the city was among the biggest cities making the earliest, boldest moves to reform policing. A year later, a severe shortage of patrol officers and rising violence has sparked a new round of debate about where the city goes from here.

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Closing the Gaps

Tonya Jameson

October 01, 2021 |

QNotes Carolinas |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Petersburg, Florida

Black members of the LGBTQ community have benefitted from the wraparound services provided by Metro Inclusive Health. The nonprofit provides a model to nonprofits in Charlotte that are looking for a roadmap to provide economic mobility to this demographic. Services offered by Metro include both health and wellness outreach.

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Learning when to be hands-off

Jodi Hausen

September 30, 2021 |

Boulder Weekly |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boulder County, Colorado

Although several Colorado law enforcement agencies have trained officers on how to de-escalate interactions with people in a crisis, including people with disabilities, the state in 2022 will become the latest to mandate such training for all law enforcement officers. The training is backed by a study that suggests it helps police better recognize and understand the reactions that people with disabilities might have under stress in a confrontation with police. Trained officers in Boulder last year successfully ended one potentially violent incident without serious inury.

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