“Defunding the police” is a misnomer. Why Not Combine Police, Fire, and EMT Departments?
Public safety departments are viable and forward-thinking municipal options
Today (November 02, 2021), voters in Minneapolis are considering a proposal to replace their police department with a new Department of Public Safety. Here is an explanation provided by the city:
“This amendment would create a Department of Public Safety combining public safety functions through a comprehensive public health approach… .” (1)
Note that the Minneapolis initiative seems to run only to adding on-site counseling to regular police functions. It does not appear to contemplate an outright consolidation of services.
Today’s ballot question stems, of course, from the outcry that followed the death of George Floyd last year while Floyd was in police custody. A divisive (and widely misconstrued) phrase arose: “Defund the police!”
“Often (defund the police is) an outright misnomer, simply a way for criminal-justice activists to express their anguish and frustration with the repeated killings of people of color at the hands of police.” (2)
All of this leads me to ask: why not combine all public safety functions? Why not place police, fire, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and counseling into unified departments of public safety?
Even more – why not cross-train public safety personnel? Why not rotate staff among the functions (e.g. police duty for six months, then fire duty for six months) in order to refresh personnel? Why not have on-duty police able to run fire hoses? Why not have firefighters able to serve as backups for security at public functions?
This is not my idea. Although few in number, combined public safety departments (PSDs) have existed for years.
Here are just a few examples: Rockledge, FL (3), Orono, ME, (4) and Glencoe, IL (5). The state of Michigan is said to have fifty-seven different departments of public safety. (6)
To be certain, PSDs do not work in all instances. Some have been established and then disbanded.
“Only 128 jurisdictions have merged police and fire administrations out of the more than 18,000 agencies in the U.S., according to a study by Michigan State University. Even fewer cities have attempted to cross-train police and firefighters. Part of the reason it happens so infrequently is the cost. But outright resistance to change, especially among firefighters, is another huge barrier...” (7)
Another view: “However, the transition of police duties into the fire and rescue department comes at a steep price that you will not find on a budget line-item spreadsheet. Intangibles such as organizational stress, personnel resistance and demoralization of the rank-and-file members of both departments are the major factors that will ensure this type of plan's failure.” (8)
Still, the introduction of public safety departments strikes me as both a viable and forward thinking municipal option, if structured well.
Sources:
(1) https://vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/ballot/
(2) https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/police-reform-is-on-the-ballot-in-minneapolis-but-its-about-more-than-defunding-the-police/
(4) https://www.foxbangor.com/news/item/orono-shifts-to-public-safety-department-format/
(5) https://www.villageofglencoe.org/government/departments/public_safety/index.php
(6) https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2013/police-fire-mergers-fuel-msu-research-program
(7) https://www.governing.com/archive/col-police-fire-department-mergers-catching-on.html
(8) https://www.firerescue1.com/fire-department-management/articles/5-reasons-not-to-merge-fire-and-police-lYlSYs2dFR5eOuIp/
Background:
https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/perspective/perspective-public-safety-consolidation-does-it-make-sense
https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/a-package-deal-police-fire-and-ems/
http://www.policefireconsolidation.org/
https://www.governing.com/archive/col-police-fire-department-mergers-catching-on.html
https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2013/police-fire-mergers-fuel-msu-research-program
https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/tactical-medics-combine-policing-emt-training-to-render-aid-at-active-scenes/512-3ce17464-eab9-4a31-82b1-9eed542ed9ca
#police
#fire
#EMT
#emergencymedicaltechnician
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#PSD
#municipalservices
#defundthepolice
#minneapolis