On Tuesday night, Allentown City Council began the process of listening to supporters of a citizen initiative that would require county-employed dispatchers to send social workers, and not police officers, in response to some 9-1-1 calls. A citizen initiative is a form of direct democracy in which citizens, as opposed to City Council members, can sponsor legislation that could go directly to the voters. In Allentown, a city initiative requires the assent of 2,000 registered voters. After that threshold is met, City Council has 60 days in which to adopt, reject or take no action on this ordinance. It has no power to amend. Only the citizen petitioners' committee can authorize revisions. If the matter is rejected or no action is taken, it must be forwarded to the county as a ballot initiative for the voters in November.
Initiative supporters were led by one of the petition circulators, Imogen Wirth. She indicated she got her start as a result of George Floyd's murder. She said her group became more concerned by the way Allentown police responded to a 2020 overdose subject (he had ingested 7 bags of cocaine) who was staggering and vomiting in the middle of the street, at night, outside of a local hospital. He was endangering both himself and the public. Police at the hospital on an unrelated matter assisted hospital personnel by placing a spit mask on this addict, but a shorter video from a different angle made it look as though police were kneeling on this man's neck. The City nearly rioted that night, as convicted felon Hasshan Batts led a mob with chants of "F--- the police." The Mayor was doxed and was told by members of this mob that they knew where he lived.
Intentionally or unintentionally, Wirth misrepresented what happened that night.
Wirth went on to claim that the $4 million budget proposed for this program is entirely reasonable. because Bethlehem's former Health Director told her so. "It would not touch the police's budget in any way. There would be no need to raise taxes. ... This is the future of public safety."
She said her mobile response team would have their own vehicles and operate 24/7.
City Council did hear from other speakers, but there were more no-shows than actual speakers. That's OK, because Council President Daryl Hendricks told Wirth he'd allow her to continue to present during tonight's meeting.
Wirth failed to address three very important questions. First, what legal authority does Allentown have to tell county 9-1-1 dispatchers what to do? Second, has PEMA been consulted concerning how 9-1-1 dispatchers should be retrained? Third, isn't it discriminatory to refuse to allow former police officers who became social workers to serve on these teams?
During the meeting, Wirth used the term "We" a lot and attempted to drape herself in the clothing of an Allentown resident. Comparing Allentown to Bethlehem, she said, "We're a much bigger city [than Bethlehem]." Interestingly, she's no Allentown resident. Here's what one reader, who is an Allentown resident, told me: "As a City resident, I find it very interesting that the spokesperson and representative of the petition committee (Imogen Wirth) lives on a peaceful suburban street in Lower Macungie Township, a municipality that is 95% white and doesn't even have a local police department. Her position as spokesperson/representative of the petition committee can't help but give the impression that Bill 47 is being advanced by outsiders with a political agenda. How can some hypocrite lecture me, an Allentown resident with a real social conscience, about George Floyd while choosing to live on a suburban cul-de-sac in an essentially segregated public school system? I've bought a home in Allentown and put a child through the public school system. They couldn't even prop up some local Allentown resident to speak for the committee?'
Several Allentown residents did speak, but Wirth was their facilitator.
43 comments:
Clueless in Allentown =free Bud Light for the council !
Yes, I think social workers should be sent to domestic calls, and to calls about any minorities.
I fully support this initiative. I don't live in Allentown and stopped traveling there a few years ago, feeling the place is just too dangerous. I'd like to see Allentown get better. But anyone familiar with addiction knows an addict must usually hit rock bottom before admitting their problem and taking steps to clean up. Allentown needs to hit rock bottom. I don't know if this will loosen the remaining floorboards. But I think it'll come close. Sadly, the souls in Allentown's administrative ghetto zone will pay the price as guinea pigs for this social experiment. This is a critical step in the urban doom cycle, however. It must be tried in order to teach citizens a painful lesson about the consequences of disinterest in the face of devastating wokeness.
If this person tried to dupe City Council into thinking she was an Allentown resident at a public meeting, imagine how they must have duped the ordinary residents on the street who signed those petitions.
So many thoughts and emotions on this end after reading this information. I’m shocked that it has even gotten to this point which just goes to show you how easily some people are influenced these days about what is truly an insane idea. Prayers that common sense prevails or Allentown and the surrounding communities are “finished “.
Once again I’ll say that you don’t see any social workers pushing this agenda. I know a few and they have zero interest in responding to such calls alone, which is why the police accompany them now. The “social workers” this initiative is talking about are the ones hired by Batts and backed by CeCe……you remember them, he’s the convicted drug dealer and she’s the one who got arrested for her social work putting a juvenile in danger. Those are the role models here. Also, Batts was already given money by the mayor for his “end gun violence” crew and Allentown has had 11 homicides already this year, which is above last year’s pace when his group wasn’t funded (one of them actually occurred within view of his Hamilton St headquarters). Now the city is expected to fund people who’ve already proven ineffective, while also now taking on their liability?
To borrow from Bill O'Reilly, Allentown has become a city of far left loons (lunatics). I don't regret leaving years ago. 🤪
These social workers will not be going to these calls alone. They will have to be accompanied by the police.
That means more people being inserted into volatile situations, not equipped to handle volatile situations, and needing police protection.
This situation will compound problems that will ultimately become problems for the police.
For crying out loud, ambulances already stage in safe areas until cops secure things.
"These social workers will not be going to these calls alone. They will have to be accompanied by the police."
Nope. No police wanted.
If this nutty plan is adopted, Allentown 's EMS Center better triple its liability insurance coverage because there will be lawsuits. 911 operators should not be put in the position of determining when to send social workers or police to a crisis situation. The most innocent looking situation can turn south quickly. Better that the police are first responders. Use that money to hire more officers!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
If this person tried to dupe City Council into thinking she was an Allentown resident at a public meeting, imagine how they must have duped the ordinary residents on the street who signed those petitions.
June 15, 2023 at 7:15 AM
Good Point!
Anon 6:46 said:
"Allentown needs to hit rock bottom... It must be tried in order to teach citizens a painful lesson about the consequences of disinterest in the face of devastating wokeness."
That’s a novel thought, but how many other cities across the country have already hit “rock bottom” with policies like this? Please let me know which one is on the road to getting better.
This is a bad policy that will indeed make the city worse, but it won’t be any type of catalyst for improvement. Instead, it will spread to other Valley municipalities and take everyone down along with Allentown.
The reality is that this is a policy being pushed by a communist-lite fringe group that unfortunately has far too much power in Allentown.
The goal of the communist is never to improve things. It is to destroy everything they can. This ordinance is the latest tool for them to do so in Allentown.
This proposal, and those pushing it, need to be defeated. I would urge EVERYONE living in the city and surrounding suburbs to recognize this proposal for the threat (to everyone) that it is and work hard to stop it, both now and in November (if council rejects it).
They also need to stop funding and supporting the politicians and groups that support these types of policies.
What is the timeline for this proposal to be voted on by city council?
Will opponents have an opportunity to speak out?
If so, when?
"To borrow from Bill O'Reilly, Allentown has become a city of far left loons (lunatics). I don't regret leaving years ago. 🤪"
See I don't fully agree with this statement. Yes there are some "far left loons" in the City trying to convince Allentown residents that this is a good idea. We've also seen that this concept is being led by a "far left loon" from the suburbs who has a political agenda. I think that most Allentown residents are not "far left loons" but everyday working family types who will soundly reject this bad idea if it ever makes it onto the ballot.
Has anyone talked to the County about it taking on the liability of deciding whether to send police or social workers? Not so sure they want to be involved in this. And if they don't, then Allentown has to re-create its own 911 center to comply, thereby driving costs to the moon and endangering the safety of the entire Lehigh Valley in the process.
What a shit show....
After scrutinizing residence bona fides, judging the use of the royal we, or enjoying scatological jokes, I suggest a sober discussion on how any city serves citizens in the midst of a mental health crisis or how effective/compliant our local police departments are with crisis intervention training. It's a complicated topic that too often is dumbed down to a defund the police debate.
I think you should work on your white fragility.
Nothing good ever comes out of police getting dispatched to an individual having a mental health crisis. They don’t want to be there to genuinely help, it usually ends in an unwarranted arrest, or worst the individual is injured or shot.
ACAB. Keep them away from people.
It is worthy of note that Allentown "mayor," leftist extremist Matt Tuerk, was recently shamelessly cavorting in the Dominican Republic with felon dope dealer Convict Hasshan Batts.
"What is the timeline for this proposal to be voted on by city council?
Will opponents have an opportunity to speak out?
If so, when?"
If you wish to speak out, do so tonight or email Council members. Council is nearing the end of its 60-day period on which to adopt or reject the initiative or do nothing. In the latter two cases, it goes to the county to be put on the ballot. The LeCo elections board can reject if it is illegal. I think it is.
You should worry less about dope dealers in the Dominican Republic and start addressing racist white mass shooters in THIS country.
If Wirth was one of the petition circulators, was she also part of the Petition Committee?
If so, and she is a non-resident, I believe that would put the proposal in violation of Section 1003 of the city charter.
That section clearly states that it takes “Any five qualified voters of the city…”.
Lower Macungie Township isn’t “…of the city…”.
Maybe you can point out an instance in Allentown where a social worker could have done better than a police officer
Somehow I don’t think that there are any social workers eager to promote this idea. Maybe the promise of free bullet-proof equipment would help. I don’t see this idea as viable unless the social workers are also trained police officers.
I am willing to bet that there is a non-profit behind this idea that will happily provide a few social workers while skimming administrative costs off the top for their organization.
I couldn't find another city that is doing this. There are many communities (including Allentown) that are sending out social workers to accompany police on certain calls. However, I can't find another city that is forbidding police officers from responding on some calls. I can't imagine many social workers would want to respond to these calls without backup from a real police officer. As many people have noted, the domestic dispute calls are some of the most unpredictable and dangerous. There is no way a dispatcher is going to be able to tell whether a person is dangerous based upon the limited info provided to the dispatcher by the person calling with the complaint. In many cases, the person calling in the complaint just knows that something strange is happening, but they don't know any of the facts.
Google is free…
https://www.kare11.com/amp/article/news/local/breaking-the-news/minneapolis-behavioral-crisis-response-teams-quietly-winning-over-skeptics/89-1d8b6817-b157-4056-8e8d-72286e7b4a1f
“Mass shooters” in this country are overwhelmingly and disproportionately young males of color.
But we only read and hear about the white racist ones.
It’s how Democrats drive their easily misled and ignorant masses to the voting booth.
As evidenced by Allentown. And Bethlehem. Easton. Philadelphia. Pittsburgh. Harrisburg. Reading. Williamsport.
Etc. etc. etc.
Allentown should do what Easton did. Create a four square block safe zone around their police station and f#ck the rest of the city.
Texas enacted reforms that require mental health training and yearly recerts. They also have their versions of mental health courts. This extreme is ill-conceived and will not work. The answer is a balanced approach with law enforcement and mental health treatment.
@2:26
Yes, Google is free. In reading that article, they work with police.
Also, it appears Minneapolis is a rarity in how their crisis teams initially respond without police. Most organizations don't respond in person, but use phones to answer calls.
"Compassionate, trained professionals answer all calls 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Callers will have the opportunity to discuss their problem and will receive appropriate counseling, guidance, assessment and referral for prompt treatment or other services if necessary."
Another way to work the issue is that the police drop the "obey or die" way of dealing with obviously impaired people.
They could start looking at people as people not things.
Otherwise the police are viewed as an occupying army.
The push to reduce the police going overboard did not just pop up without reason
I'm not concerned about this because I would be most surprised if they could get the social workers to implement this program. Why not spend the money on mental health services. Or mandatory programs for violent domestic offenses. Or keep people in jail for violent offenses. A quality social worker is kind and caring. I can't see them out there alone. The liability of those making the decision on who to send is huge! One case and the city is broke. I must saying trained police officers as social workers sounds plausible ..
Really? CAHOOTS has been operating for 30 years in Eugene, OR with no injuries to social workers, according to retired Det. Chad Bruckner.
Really? CAHOOTS has been operating in Eugene, OR for 30 years with no significant injuries to social workers, according to retired Det. Chad Bruckner.
"I am willing to bet that there is a non-profit behind this idea that will happily provide a few social workers while skimming administrative costs off the top for their organization."
FACT CHECK: PROBABLY TRUE
Just yet another distraction from the real criminal enterprise known as the workings of allentown pa.
Justan is that you?
Last time I checked, Minneapolis isn’t in Allentown.
Again, show me a case, an actual case - IN ALLENTOWN - where a social worker would have been a better option than the police.
During the testimony on Tuesday, supporters outright lied about an incident where the police acted properly.
This is a bad proposal trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.
If you don't live in Allentown your voice is irrelevant. This is the problem those least affected what to put a seal of approval!
How often do police conne to your neighborhood
Exactly
Are enough of them paying attention? Let's hope so.
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