[NYPOST] The Los Angeles City Council took a first step this week toward launching a new "crisis response" plan that would have unarmed service providers responding to some 911 calls instead of the city’s police department, according to new reports.The council’s police reform committee on Wednesday approved a motion in which the LAPD would work with other city and county agencies that handle health and homelessness issues to "develop an unarmed model of crisis response that would divert non-violent calls for service away from LAPD to the appropriate non-law enforcement agencies and related matters," the Los Angeles Times reported.Some council members raised concerns about funding and questioned whether the city might be moving too quickly or drastically to slice resources from law enforcement.
But Councilman Herb Wesson, who helped introduce the measure, tried to shut down the critics, LAist reported.
"I understand ... that this makes you feel a little uncomfortable," Wesson said. "Well, welcome to being black. Welcome to being uncomfortable."
While shifting responsibilities for responding to calls away from police and to other agencies is a large part of the "Defund Police" movement, activists took issue with any LAPD involvement at all.
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