Dear Folks,

One of the main things we called for was for the city to create an unarmed force of first responders that would not be housed in the Police Bureau.  Mayor Wheeler's proposed budget calls for 500k for just such a team of Rapid Responders.   Congratulations to all of you for signing the petition, showing up to City Hall, and pushing for a compassionate response to homelessness.

Special thanks to Street Roots and Commissioner JoAnn Hardesty for fleshing out the first responder proposal and mobilizing support for it.  While 500k is less than 1 % of the City's budget, it is a good start.  Over time, we hope that this rapid response team will be funded in the proportion of calls that it takes away from the police. In Eugene, Cahoots responds to 20 percent of 911 calls, and if we have a similar response rate, then we can push for about 20 million dollars of the Police Bureau's budget.  The police can focus their energies on violent crime, and the mental crisis professionals can help those in need. It's a win-win.

Happy belated May Day!

Cheers, Elliott