Another council member addressed the loss of life due to police involvement and feels the program will deter unnecessary violence against Black and Brown people.

“Calling the police on George Floyd about an alleged counterfeit $20 bill ended his life,” Los Angeles City Councilman Herb Wesson Jr. told WRCB. “If he had been met with unarmed, trained specialists for the non-violent crime he was accused of, George Floyd would be turning 47 years old today. This plan will save lives.”

The motion presented by six council members, including Wesson, Jr., in June attributed financial cuts to social services antagonized an already tumultuous relationship with police officers.

"[LAPD was] the only solution for problems they should not be called on to solve in the first place," Wesson Jr. said.

The new program would replace law enforcement with social workers, who are better equipped to handle non-violent civilian matters.

crisis team

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