PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE HOLDS TELECONFERENCES RELATED TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS IMPACTING PUBLIC SAFETY

摘要

In early April, the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice held hearings on social problems impacting public safety-specifically homelessness, federal programming, and substance abuse. The hearings were held over three days via teleconference. Each teleconference featured a panel of expert witnesses who provided testimony and answered questions from the Commissioners. A hearing on Tuesday, March 31 focused on the intersection of public safety and homelessness. Salt Lake City, UT Police Chief Mike Brown asserted that "law enforcement is consistently put in the position of triaging homelessness, which often is a symptom of underlying mental health and/or substance use issues." John Ashmen, President/CEO of Citygate Network, suggested that the number of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. "confirms that homeless services providers and the law enforcement community need to collaborate like never before."