Allentown City Council Hears From Supporters of $4 Million Initiative to Send Social Workers, Not Cops, on Some 9-1-1 Calls

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.