Exclusive
TMZ.com
L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson says it’s time to have the right people responding to situations where force is not needed — and his plan could be a model for the future of policing in America.
Wesson came on “TMZ Live” Wednesday to discuss a new city-wide measure he and his fellow council members voted on and passed this week, which aims to pull cops off on non-violent calls for service, and instead … send specially-trained, and unarmed, community members.
The Council’s intent is clear … reduce the possibility of police using excessive force, and have social workers and mental health pros on the scene to deescalate and help citizens in need.
6/27/20
@jzapata23 / Twitter
For example, the incident that went down in Tampa this past weekend — where officers responded to a call for a mother in mental distress. Cops ended up ripping away her children in a heartbreaking scene.
Wesson wants to put a stop to unnecessary roughness like that, by deploying specialists who can calm situations and talk down subjects.
The measure will require defunding the police — or more accurately, reallocating the city’s budget. The City Council Prez thinks the change would free up LAPD to better police violent cases. Win-win.
It also sounds like this is a plan that could be adopted nationwide — if it’s effective in the city of Angels.