Quote (bogie160 @ Sep 15 2020 05:43am)
The police are going to have to come regardless. Who else is going to keep these social workers safe?
Before we jump the gun and staff departments of social workers with managers, bureaucracy, and staff, the whole nine yards, let's try to flesh out how big a problem this really is. Secondly, if there is justification, we're going to want to fund this independent of police budget cuts, because by and large we need more police (and better trained), not less. The notion that there's an epidemic of autistic or otherwise troubled teens getting shot by police that could otherwise be saved by investing in an army of social workers is a fantasy.
To your other point, I don't think anyone thinks police need tanks specifically. How much do they spend on tanks? Let's see a breakdown and go from there.
What do police even do?
I'll tell you what they do.
They respond to calls when they can, usually focused on property crime in upper class areas, "drug crimes" in lower class areas, and on making shit loads of money through infraction ticketing.
At best, they come after an incident to file a report. If you're a rape victim or a poor person, chances are that report isn't going to accomplish anything whatsoever. This will be the end of the police involvement on the matter. At worst, they bust into your house, which is the wrong house, without announcing themselves, kill your dog, shoot your daughter who is taking a nap on the couch, shoot you, destroy your home, and then charge you for it. Financially and criminally.
The main purpose they serve is to instill fear among the lower classes, to slow or stop the spread of property crimes against the upper classes, and to protect the interests of powerful corporations.
Having a violent property enforcer come to deal with a mental health issue is not going to end well, because they will first identify whether the subject is a threat to property and then react from that basis. They are not trained to deal from any other basis. If a mentally ill person is throwing a tantrum, property is in danger, therefore they must be immobilized at any cost. This is why they are shot dead more often than not.