In a political landscape where excessive policing and military force are becoming routine, civil and human rights organizations from across the country are coming to Washington, D.C. to fight for public health and alternatives to policing. 

The Community Safety Working Group is a joint project of more than 70 civil rights, public health, racial justice, housing, violence prevention, economic justice, and allied organizations nationwide dedicated to building safety that works for all communities. MomsRising believes in the power of collective action and the need for solutions to excessive policing in underserved communities. 

Congresswoman Summer Lee and members of the Community Safety Working Group

On July 15, MomsRising’s National Director of Youth and Family Justice Campaign, Beatriz Beckford, and Campaign Associate of Youth and Family Justice Campaign, Kelsey Reyes, attended the reintroduction of the Community Safety Legislative Agenda at a press conference on Capitol Hill. 

The press conference was led by Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12) and joined by Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04), Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-06), Congresswoman Mary Gay Scalon (PA-05), and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07). The Community Safety Legislative Agenda contains seven bills that target various elements of public safety, mental health, and alternatives to policing. 

• The People’s Response Act would create a new “Division on Community Safety” within the Department of Health and Human Services, then use this Divsion to fund evidence-informed community safety programs nationwide. 
• The Break the Cycle of Violence Act would create a new Office of Community Violence Intervention (CVI) within the Department of Helath and Human Services, then use this office to support CVI workforce development and fund CVI programs. 
• The Mental Health Justice Act would support state governments, local governments, and community-based organizations to operate programs that train and dispatch mental health professionals to respond during mental health crises. 
• The Family Violence Prevention & Services Improvement Act would support domestic violence coalitions and community-based organizations to support evidence-informed prevention strategies and implement coordinated, community responses that reduce risk factors for family violence. 
• The Housing is a Human Right Act would expand programs to assist homeless and housing-unstable individuals, including the construction of affordable housing. 
• The Opening Doors for Youth Act would help states, local governments, Indian tribes, and community organizations provide summer jobs and other employment opportunities for at-risk youth.
• The Full-Service Community School Act would expand much-needed resources for wraparound services that holistically meet students' and families' needs. We would also support policies that invest more deeply in enrichment programming, including access to art, music, drama, sports, civic engagement, and other enrichment activities. 

National Director of Youth and Family Justice Beatriz Beckord 

Take a moment to watch the full press conference here!

Alternatives to public safety should center on investing in mental health and substance use crises, not criminalization. Individuals with untreated mental health disorders are 16 times more likely to be killed during police encounters than people without mental health disorders who are approached or stopped by law enforcement. 

 We can and must do better! We must not allow another community member in crisis to be harmed in their moments of greatest need. Every community deserves to feel safe and have systems that can deliver adequate, health-based responses our communities need.