Protecting Us from Our Police

"Helping Hand" insignia, US Army Humanitarian Corps.

Each day we learn that more American citizens have been murdered by our police. We must put a stop to this carnage by reforming policing in the United States. I have discussed this on DownriverUSA several times. Here are two posts:

Policing Reform – Today – 23 Apr 2021

and

When Protectors Become Gangsters - 26 June 2020

What Has Been Done?

CAHOOTS

One successful local community policing reform program is aimed at improving community policing by reducing police shootings and beatings of citizens. It has been in operation for over 30 years in Eugene, Oregon. 

Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets (CAHOOTS). CAHOOTS works for citizens and for local government by reducing police brutality while also saving the city about, “$8.5 million in public safety costs every year, plus another $14 million in ambulance trips and ER costs”.

Basically, CAHOOTS created a response unit comprised of medical personnel from a local medical facility, most likely a hospital, which is dispatched by the local police dispatcher, to deal with nonviolent/non-sworn-officer-required 911 calls, such as, “unsheltered people or those with mental health issues”.

As Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner explained, "We need to get law enforcement professionals back to doing the core mission of protecting communities and enforcing the law, and then match resources with other services like behavioral health -- all those things we tend to lump on the plate of law enforcement."

Psychological Standard Test

Some federal authority must oversee, license, require continuing education and psychological testing for police officers throughout the U.S. That oversight must also include ICE, FBI, alcohol and drug enforcement, U.S. Marshalls, etc. – police officers at all levels of government - anyone authorized to wear a badge and carry a gun. Please see: Outraged Yet? - 13 Apr 2021.

Universal Body and Dash Cams

Every American ciizen must wear a body cam and mount an in-vehicle dash cam. Cams are inexpensive and nearly ubiquitous now. Video and audio records will offer some proof of deadly encounters with police.

Who Will Protect Us from Ultra-Right Policing Abuses? – The Humanitarian Corps

The recent CPAC conference clearly displayed a brazen neo-Nazi connection that should alarm all Americans. 

Obviously, we need a new way to deal with domestic terrorism, white supremacy, and disinformation i.e., treason, fostered by the emergent, Trump-controlled, ultra-right wing Republican Party.

Who Will Protect Us from Ultra-Right Policing Abuses? 

We must create a "Humanitarian Corps", a new type of Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) unit of the National Guard, under command of the U.S. military, with the mission of “quick response” to protect and defend government units and the people who are victimized by Republican disenfranchisement… those subject to police brutality; those predominantly non-white Americans who cannot depend on their local police or state or even federal law enforcement, to be treated with common decency under the law; and those victimized by our for-profit prison system.

An additional mission would be providing humanitarian relief, education, and training, in situ, to the millions of unemployed, homeless, despairing, Americans who are mired in a never-ending cycle of poverty. Consider this a new form of FDR’s CCC-style employment programs, akin to an updated “Domestic Marshall Plan”.

As a past service person, I have faith that our military command will get the job done forthwith, in an efficient and evenhanded manner, under the Constitution, under Congressional oversight, using the equipment, personnel and material, as approved by Congress.

Through the Humanitarian Corps, funded under the existing Dept. of Defense budget, we may steer the course of America away from unending inhumanity to itself and toward a more humane world – for all of us.

Using some military resources for humanitarian purposes is not a new concept. Often during times of natural disasters, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc., political people mobilize military units to evacuate victims, provide medical care, transport emergency relief supplies as well as security.

The military, after all, has ships, planes, manpower, and the command structure at the ready. All that is required is the order to spring into action and get the job done.

What could comprise The Humanitarian Corps? 

Answer: existing resources, historically activated under military command, following post-combat, including military personnel, Department of State personnel, Intelligence agencies, nonprofits, etc. 

We may never be able to defeat the "powers that be – the funders of Republican treason". Still, we can help some of those left in misery due to our systemic failures. For me, "No one left behind", includes the civilians we displace, leave to starve, and die of their wounds - wounds our system permits - e.g., unemployment, poor education, no health care, inadequate housing, poverty, etc. We have the means to change the course of history by allowing our "better angels" to come forward and do what needs to be done to ensure that our Democratic Republic survives the next coup attempts sure to come.

We can do something different today because we have the wherewithal to profoundly change what will happen to people who are truly hurting because of Republican sponsored domestic terrorism, white supremacy, racism, and outright treason. By doing so, by taking a different path, we can stop our national free fall into fascism. 

This can be a new and unexpected counter to the Republican Party, ultra-right, Trumpian authoritarianism, one somewhat akin to the post-WWII Marshall Plan, but vastly more focused on individuals over industry and government. 

We can do this by creating a solution: The Humanitarian Corps.

To help move us forward, the concept below is an excellent step… A federally-funded, Police Holster Sensor and Use Report

Let's talk about a plan and a wish for changing law enforcement....
Beau of the Fifth Column - 25 Apr 2021