Joining a recent national wave of calls for transformation of traditional ‘public safety’ measures (including relying on police to respond or accompany emergency responders to 911 calls made by the public), a community-based organization will pilot an unarmed, non-police response program, to launch mid-2023. This is Michigan’s first unarmed, non-police response program of this nature. After nearly a year of rigorous research, led by a design team of diverse, dedicated, and expert community members, along with ongoing feedback sessions throughout the community, Care-Based Safety (CBS) has released a Strategic Plan. This document offers context about the design phase, pilot plans for Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, the founding team, and the initiative’s core values. The program plan includes: Urgent Response (through a public 7 digit phone number separate from 911), community building and skill training, and collaborating with local organizations. Under the proposed structure, local residents can call the number to address critical issues such as conflict de-escalation, accessing essential resources, and wellness checks.
The CBS team, initially announced in August 2022, is a group of community members and caretakers of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, with a shared commitment to creating a place where everyone is safe, cared for, and able to thrive. CBS developed out of the Coalition for Re-envisioning Our Safety (CROS), a multi-racial coalition with an advocacy branch who has successfully advocated to the Ann Arbor City Council to allocate $3.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds towards unarmed response, and building political support from residents, who responded positively to such a program in a city survey. CBS has secured strategic investments from multiple sources to pilot the project in Ypsilanti. The full Strategic Plan, updates, and other resources about Care-Based Safety can be found here.
The CBS team, initially announced in August 2022, is a group of community members and caretakers of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, with a shared commitment to creating a place where everyone is safe, cared for, and able to thrive. CBS developed out of the Coalition for Re-envisioning Our Safety (CROS), a multi-racial coalition with an advocacy branch who has successfully advocated to the Ann Arbor City Council to allocate $3.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds towards unarmed response, and building political support from residents, who responded positively to such a program in a city survey. CBS has secured strategic investments from multiple sources to pilot the project in Ypsilanti. The full Strategic Plan, updates, and other resources about Care-Based Safety can be found here.