Albuquerque to send Unarmed Social Workers, not police officers, to some 911 calls

[Franklin Pierce]

Hours before Albuquerque police detained alleged members of an armed civilian group when a protest erupted in gunfire Monday, the mayor of New Mexico's largest city announced that unarmed social workers – not officers – would now respond to certain 911 calls.

The decision came as Black Lives Matter advocates to defund police departments in the wake of the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody after Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes on May 25.

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller announced that the city would create a “first-of-its-kind” cabinet-level department that would respond to calls on inebriation, homelessness, addiction and mental health.

Albuquerque to send unarmed social workers, not police officers, to some 911 calls

 

[allvol123]

Please do.

 

[ETV]

And domestic violence calls?

 

[GoBigOrangeUT]

Please do.

I know you’re being sarcastic, but this is a good idea. Social workers are much more equipped to handle those specific issues. Cops tend to come in too heavy handed in dealing with low level **** like this.

 

[NEO]

I know you’re being sarcastic, but this is a good idea. Social workers are much more equipped to handle those specific issues. Cops tend to come in too heavy handed in dealing with low level **** like this.

Social worker will get killed within a few months and on a regular basis.

This won't end well.

 

[Roustabout]

Social worker will get killed within a few months and on a regular basis.

This won't end well.

We’ve entered the stupid zone:

 

[Ttucke11]

Social worker will get killed within a few months and on a regular basis.

This won't end well.

Plus they are even more understaffed than police. What's the ETA for a response time from a social worker? In my experience in LE it takes days for them to respond. Inebriation, mental health? Social workers, EMS, etc refuse to respond to those scenes until police have it "under control" because they actually know the risks.

 

[orangesoda]

This country has went completely stupid.

 

[allvol123]

I know you’re being sarcastic, but this is a good idea. Social workers are much more equipped to handle those specific issues. Cops tend to come in too heavy handed in dealing with low level **** like this.

I am being honest. Communities should get the results of what they elect.

 

[jaybird_1981]

I am being honest. Communities should get the results of what they elect.

Elections have consequences.

 

[allvol123]

So you'll get an automated menu that will take 5 minutes of button pushing to get you the correct service. Lol.

 

[Rickyvol77]

I know you’re being sarcastic, but this is a good idea. Social workers are much more equipped to handle those specific issues. Cops tend to come in too heavy handed in dealing with low level **** like this.

LOL social workers are only more equipped to handle specific issues like possibly finding services or providing a phone number. They are not equipped to handle violent psych and drug induced people, especially those with weapons. They will still have the same exact issues as police, how to keep them and others safe, how to restrain them to get them to a hospital, etc.

 

[Rickyvol77]

Plus they are even more understaffed than police. What's the ETA for a response time from a social worker? In my experience in LE it takes days for them to respond. Inebriation, mental health? Social workers, EMS, etc refuse to respond to those scenes until police have it "under control" because they actually know the risks.

You can always tell the people who have actually dealt with this issues for years (police, fire, EMS, social workers, hospital workers, etc) and those who only get their ideas of what goes on in society from Facebook and MSM

 

[LouderVol]

It's the age old government strategy.

1. Take a honest problems, violence from cops.
2. Make it worse, introduce another service illequipped to deal with emergency situations. They wont only not be armed, but also trained to deal with the situation. And the worst case scenario isnt a social worker getting killed, but a civilian getting killed because said social cant stop the situation.
3. Turn the situation they made worse into a chance to create even more power for themselves while eroding our freedoms. What happens after the "peaceful" option fails? You get cops with even less restriction/more power. After the government has had a chance to freshen up the brand.
4. They dont actually address the root issue. So the violence continues because they only look at one side of the equation.

 

[Purple Tiger]

LOL social workers are only more equipped to handle specific issues like possibly finding services or providing a phone number. They are not equipped to handle violent psych and drug induced people, especially those with weapons. They will still have the same exact issues as police, how to keep them and others safe, how to restrain them to get them to a hospital, etc.

BS. Mental health professionals (and medical professionals) should be the ones working with the mentally disturbed and drug users instead of police. This, to me, frees up police to be on the streets and have the time to deal with real criminals. Social workers and therapists are highly trained in these matters. I am sure if a situation is violent in nature, police will come in as a backup.

 

[Rickyvol77]

BS. Mental health professionals (and medical professionals) should be the ones working with the mentally disturbed and drug users instead of police. This, to me, frees up police to be on the streets and have the time to deal with real criminals. Social workers and therapists are highly trained in these matters. I am sure if a situation is violent in nature, police will come in as a backup.

I suggest you go spend sometime with Peer Navigators/Social Workers/Case Managers at area hospitals in Knoxville and for psych counselors/social workers at places like Moccasin Bend and Peninsula and see how "highly trained" they are in dealing with these type of issues... Moccasin Bend regularly turns people away for services if they are deemed too "hostile or violent". How do you think alone on the streets without weapons will end for them?

Again you are clueless to the reality of the situation on the streets

 

[Ttucke11]

I suggest you go spend sometime with Peer Navigators/Social Workers/Case Managers at area hospitals in Knoxville and for psych counselors/social workers at places like Moccasin Bend and Peninsula and see how "highly trained" they are in dealing with these type of issues... Moccasin Bend regularly turns people away for services if they are deemed too "hostile or violent". How do you think alone on the streets without weapons will end for them?

Again you are clueless to the reality of the situation on the streets

I've dropped people off at both of those places. I also have been denied their services after driving 3 hours to get there.

 

[tennvols77]

Put this sh** on TV.........please.....

BS. Mental health professionals (and medical professionals) should be the ones working with the mentally disturbed and drug users instead of police. This, to me, frees up police to be on the streets and have the time to deal with real criminals. Social workers and therapists are highly trained in these matters. I am sure if a situation is violent in nature, police will come in as a backup.

You would have thought the Democrats of the 60's and 70's would have listened to those mental health professionals then huh......no......and now, no one was alive or remembers that this situation was brought about because of the liberal progressive movement and "the rights" of the mentally disturbed and indigent......

And why are the police needed......if they (SW) are so prepared, then no need for police.......right...kind of deflates the whole thing......

 

[Purple Tiger]

Put this sh** on TV.........SWOP.....


You would have thought the Democrats of the 60's and 70's would have listened to those mental health professionals then huh......no......and now, no one was alive or remembers that this situation was brought about because of the liberal progressive movement and "the rights" of the mentally disturbed and indigent......

And why are the police needed......if they (SW) are so prepared, then no need for police.......right...kind of deflates the whole thing......

The police are needed if weapons are involved. Do you want social workers carrying pistols?

 

[tennvols77]

The police are needed if weapons are involved. Do you want social workers carrying pistols?

I don't want social workers on any scene anywhere, they can be needed after the fact.........putting them on scene is asking for so many problems.

 

[rekinhavoc]

 

[Rickyvol77]

The police are needed if weapons are involved. Do you want social workers carrying pistols?

And how do you propose an unarmed social worker deals with with a schizophrenic guy on PCP? that has a knife? how are they going to physically restrain someone that meets the criteria for Title 33 but refuses to go to a hospital?

 

[Purple Tiger]

And how do you propose an unarmed social worker deals with with a schizophrenic guy on PCP? that has a knife? how are they going to physically restrain someone that meets the criteria for Title 33 but refuses to go to a hospital?

Hello. Look at my comment you quoted. Calm down, Fido.

 

[Rickyvol77]

Hello. Look at my comment you quoted. Calm down, Fido.

Ok how about with no weapons, how does a social worker (usually a younger female) with no physical training restrain and take custody of said person?

 

[tennvols77]

And how do you propose an unarmed social worker deals with with a schizophrenic guy on PCP? that has a knife? how are they going to physically restrain someone that meets the criteria for Title 33 but refuses to go to a hospital?

I have a bad anesthesia drag, if I have surgery and go under, you have to have me strapped down when I wake up. After I had by broken nose fixed in high school, it took 7 grown arse men to keep me down. I'm not a big guy. Can't imagine a drug induced situation like PCP or similar drug.