DEFUND OR UNBUNDLE THE POLICE? A STRATEGY TO ENHANCE THE REPUTATION AND MORALE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THE UNITED STATES

Authors
Serrato, Gerardo H.
Subjects
California Highway Patrol
CHP
defund the police
morale
reputation
police
Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets
CAHOOTS
Advisors
Halladay, Carolyn C.
Brown, Shannon A.
Date of Issue
2022-09
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
This thesis compares the claims made by moderate members of the defund-the-police movement and law enforcement officials who challenge the role of police in societal problems. It finds that an absent community-based strategy to address societal issues like mental health has transformed police officers into street psychiatrists, an expansion of police duties that aligns in its broad strokes with critiques of the “defund” movement. This thesis compares current law enforcement practices in dealing with mental health crises and presents a detailed case study of the Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets (CAHOOTS) behavioral health response paradigm, based in Eugene, Oregon, which reduces the need for police involvement in such emergencies. The analysis finds CAHOOTS to be an effective community-based strategy for addressing social concerns, specifically mental health crises, with mental health practitioners and emergency medical technicians, instead of conventional police responses, attending to individuals with behavioral health challenges. Thus, models like CAHOOTS enhance the wellness and welfare of vulnerable populations, leaving the police to focus on law enforcement. As such, the defund-the-police movement should be seized as an opportunity to reimagine the role of the police in society and allow for CAHOOTS-type response models to provide a pathway for other communities to explore and follow alternatives to address social issues.
Type
Thesis
Description
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/10945/71032
Series/Report No
Department
National Security Affairs (CHDS)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.
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