Just Alternatives to Traditional Law Enforcement Responses

In episode two of our Community Relations season, Just Science sat down with Lieutenant Renae Lockhart and Azalea Garza-Orozco with the ACORNS Unit at the Raleigh Police Department, as well as Brian Aagaard, a research analyst at RTI's Applied Justice Research Division, to discuss alternative responses to traditional law enforcement. Instances of police brutality combined with an increased awareness of the importance of mental healthcare has spurred a robust discussion around what emergency calls demand traditional police responses. Some lawmakers and activists have called for social workers to respond to mental health and quality of life concerns, while others support a joint response between police officers and social workers. Even still, some remain skeptical that deploying social workers at all would be an effective strategy. Listen along as Renae, Azalea, and Brian discuss their backgrounds in community safety, their roles in Cohort of Cities and ACORNS, and their unique perspectives on evaluating alternative responses to emergency calls on this episode of Just Science. This episode is funded in part by RTI’s Applied Justice Research Division and Cohort of Cities, supported by Arnold Ventures.