Community service corps
What we need is a new group of people called Community Help Services trained to attend to the 80% of police work that is related to minor or no infractions of law. This includes mental health and other health problems, homelessness, food needs, broken car lights, minor traffic violations, in short, nonviolent problems.
The police should be trained to focus on keeping everyone safe, ensuring people's rights and protecting property. They should not be forming aggressive lines of officers dressed for battle trying to disburse peaceful protesters.
In possibly violent situations, the Community Help Services should first try to de-escalate the situation before police get involved.
John Rix
Schaumburg
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