Calling 911 Does Not Need To Guarantee A Police Dispatch

Mayor Michelle Wu's plan to prevent over-policing includes introducing alternative response teams to nonviolent 911 calls.

Juston Root, 41, was shot 31 times in less than 3.5 seconds by Boston police. The fatal shooting occurred following a car chase, beginning at a Boston hospital and ending in Chestnut Hill. 

The incident is currently under investigation, following a lawsuit alleging  “unnecessary, gratuitous, and disproportionate,” uses of force. 

Root’s murder is not a standalone occurrence — nationwide, or in Boston. In 2020, Boston had its highest number of police shootings in the past seven years, according to the Boston Police Department (BPD)’s Accountability and Transparency Data. 

As a result, Mayor Michelle Wu’s Blueprint for Police Reform was among the most significant policies of her recent election campaign. Her most notable recommendation? Diverting certain 911 calls to alternative response teams. 

According to Wu’s blueprint, calls relating to homelessness, substance abuse, and mental health would be redirected to social workers and other community outreach workers, in place of police. 

“It’s time to get serious about… removing the functions of social services from the department’s purview,” Wu wrote.

Juston Root’s altercation with Boston police began as a result of delusions brought on by bipolar and schizoaffective disorder. He was one of many Bostonians who could benefit from Wu’s blueprint.

Wu’s suggestion is not a newfound idea. The Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS) model, launched in Eugene, Oregon, bears striking resemblance to her plan. 

The CAHOOTS program provides mobile crisis intervention, consisting of a medic and a crisis worker. Vehicles can provide a number of resources, including crisis counseling, suicide intervention, and conflict resolution.

According to a 2020 program analysis, CAHOOTS successfully intercepts approximately 5% to 8% of the Eugene Police Department (EPD)’s calls.

Additionally, the program is cost effective. CAHOOTS is given an annual budget of $2.1 million; meanwhile, the combined annual budgets of the Eugene and Springfield police departments total over $90 million. Overall, the program is estimated to save the city of Eugene an annual $8.5 million in public safety spending.

”(People) are calling for police because who else do you call, but clearly, it’d be more beneficial for CAHOOTS to show up,” said Sgt. Rick Lewis, CAHOOTS coordinator of the Springfield Police Department.

As of now, the Boston Police Department has yet to renegotiate their union contracts. That being said, expectations are higher than ever for a contract that holds Boston police accountable. 

When negotiations begin, Bostonians can only hope for a contract that can prevent unnecessary deaths, like that of Juston Root.