In this episode of "What's Next, Angeles?" Mike Bonin talks about reimagining public safety with Ben Adam Climer of CAHOOTS, the successful mobile crisis intervention teams that handle non-violent emergency calls in Eugene, Oregon, in lieu of armed police response. It has become a national model. Mike and Ben discuss how it works in Oregon, and how it can work in Los Angeles.

Plus: Mike talks about how the local police union is an obstacle to reimagining public safety in LA, and is gaslighting the public about crime and budget cuts while fighting to preserve pay raises at the expense of deep cuts in services Angelenos need during the pandemic and the recession.


CAHOOTS
CAHOOTS
https://whitebirdclinic.org/cahoots/

VICE: These Cities Are Stopping Police from Responding to Homelessness, Drug Use and Mental Health Issues

Reimagining Public Safety in Los Angeles
BLM Presentation to Los Angeles City Council
Bonin: Let's Work on Smarter Approaches to Public Safety
LAist: Do We Need Police to Curb LA's Traffic Violence?

The Police Union
Mike's Op-ed urging a deferral of police raises during budget crisis
The PPL's letter
LA Times coverage of the PPL response
LA Police Union Challenges Mayor's Mental Health
Knock: The PPL Exposed

What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

Tens of thousands of people are living -- and many of them are dying -- on our streets. Homelessness is an epic humanitarian crisis, and we are not going to solve it unless we hear from people who are living it. In this episode, Mike talks with: Theo Henderson, a former schoolteacher who has been unhoused for 7 years, and hosts the "We the Unhoused" podcast; Sage Johnson, who has unhoused for 7 years in her late teens and early 20s before securing permanent housing, and who currently advocates for policy change with the LA Coalition to End Youth Homelessness (LACEYH).


LINKS

We the Unhoused podcast:

Hello Dogtown! Podcast

LA Times Column: When homeless people tell their own stories, we should listen and not turn away by Nita Lelyveld

Invisible People: Homeless Man Launches Podcast, Gives Voice to Unhoused People

More info on the proposed ordinance we mention that would ban sleeping in certain areas:
https://www.latimes.com/homeless-housing/story/2
020-10-27/l-a-city-council-set-to-consider-new-ban-on-homeless-camping

https://www.latimes.com/homeless-housing/story/2020-10-28/la-city-council-delays-vote-camping-ban

Info on Commission on Lived Experience with Homelessness:
https://www.dailynews.com/2020/08/05/la-leaders-tackling-homelessness-seek-more-advice-from-people-directly-affected-by-crisis/

Ten things LA can do to end homelessness:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_hi48Rb8HY&list=PLOtALmuScRr80f5yAPfhAg45ZlnusW9pG

What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

What do state and local election results mean for Los Angeles? We have a discussion about how local progressive grassroots energy shook things up this week — with special guests Manuel Pastor, Eunisses Hernandez, and guest co-host Christen Hebrard.

Plus: Mike’s thoughts on how a proposed City ordinance represents a failed approach to homelessness, how police unions lost big in the elections, and how he looks forward to an AOC-Ed Markey style partnership with Councilwoman-elect Nithya Raman.

More info on our guests and some of the subjects we discussed:

Manuel Pastor:
Twitter: @Prof_MPastor
https://dornsife.usc.edu/cf/faculty-and-staff/faculty.cfm?pid=1013240

Eunissses Hernandez:
Twitter: @EunissesH
https://www.ladefensa.org/about-us

Christen Hebrard:
https://www.facebook.com/christen.hebrard
https://christenforyda.com/

Manuel Pastor's book, "State of Resistance: What California’s Dizzying Descent and Remarkable Resurgence Mean for America’s Future":

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0744QPB89/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

Law Enforcement Reformers Sweep Major Races in Los Angeles County
https://theappeal.org/law-enforcement-reformers-los-angeles/

Measure J Appears to Pass As Part of LA County's Criminal Justice Reform Wave:
https://laist.com/elections/2020/results/measure-j-los-angeles-county-sheriff-110-million.php

How George Gascon Unseated Jackie Lacey (LA Times map)
https://www.latimes.com/projects/2020-la-da-race-gascon-lacey-vote-analysis/

L.A.'s Ryu-Raman council race reflects wider battle over policing among Democrats and the left
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-10-21/la-city-council-race-abolish-police-ryu-raman

Nithya Raman
https://www.nithyaforthecity.com/

What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

One of the most significant issues on the ballot here in Los Angeles County is Measure J -- also known as the Reimagine LA initiative. The official ballot argument for Measure J states it will “address the disproportionate impact of racial injustice by prioritizing health, housing, youth development, and jobs in low-income and underserved communities - with a particular focus on Black, Brown and low-income communities.”

Proponents say it may be the most important racial justice issue on the ballot anywhere this year. Mike discusses Measure J and what it will mean for Los Angeles with Isaac Bryan, co-chair of the Yes on J Campaign.

More info on the campaign can be found at: https://yesonj.reimagine.la/ or on twitter @reimagine_la

You can follow Isaac on Twitter at @ib2_real.

You can read about the "Alternatives to Incarceration" report Isaac mentions at: https://lacalternatives.org/reports/

More on the UCLA Ralph Bunche Center for African-American Studies: https://bunchecenter.ucla.edu/

You can find your Vote Center or Ballot Drop Box at lavote.net

What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

Los Angeles is at a turning point, and what happens next is up to us. Starting in November, join Mike Bonin as he looks at the challenges facing Los Angeles, and at the ideas and people who are building a stronger, forward-thinking community.

What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.