I think I’m almost done talking about the police and the war on drugs. But this report from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights has a compendium of what I understand are considered best practices in modern policing. I don’t see anything about ending the war on drugs, but one thing that did catch my eye is an emphasis on “Responding to Crises”.

By providing adequate prevention, support, and referral services, departments and communities can divert people with mental health and developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, and substance use orders, from the criminal justice system. All departments should develop crisis intervention approaches that connect people in crisis to appropriate health services, and all officers should be trained to identify and handle crises.

Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

What if social workers and public health workers got the same pay, benefits, and respect as police officers? Maybe people who would have been trained as police officers would choose those professions instead. Maybe some police officers could be cross-trained as social workers. This could be a way to shift funding and priorities away from use of force without dismantling or defunding police departments.