5 Ways to Engage with AFSC on Police Demilitarization
1.) Notice
Notice what’s happening. What does militarized policing look like in your community? What are ways it shows up in other communities in your city, county, or state? How does your Meeting interact with the police? What are other Meetings doing that you can learn from?
Read:
- How the war in Iraq militarized Communities in the U.S.
- “Lethal In Disguise” and “Lethal in Disguise 2” (Physicians for Human Rights)
- “My Eye Exploded” (Amnesty International)
- “Hotter Than Lava” (ProPublica)
Watch:
2.) Learn
Learn about alternatives to policing. Form a book club in your Meeting to learn together. How can we respond to events or needs that people ordinarily call police for by using other resources, people, and skills? What would a world without prisons or policing be like?
Take action:
Read:
- North Star: A Vision for Community Safety Beyond Policing
- Why we should think twice about calling the police (while keeping our neighbors safe)
- We Do This Til We Free Us, Mariame Kaba
Watch:
3.) Commit
Commit to making a difference in your community, and seeking to bring about a more peaceful world.
Identify next steps you can take as an individual, and next steps you can take as a Meeting. Take the “Think Twice” pledge and get involved in AFSC program work.
Take action:
4.) Build
Build your skills, build your community. What do you want to do that will take your community closer to a world without policing or prisons? What can your Meeting do to connect with your community and seek alternatives to policing and prisons? Who are the individuals and organizations in your community who you want to work with towards these goals?
Take action:
- Connect with your neighbors. Trade phone numbers and volunteer to get called/texted instead of the police.
- Learn how to stop an overdose - take a class to learn how to administer NARCAN.
- Learn how to be a mental health crisis responder.
- Volunteer for a crisis hotline.
5.) Challenge
Challenge the status quo. How can your community get schools, libraries, youth employment, city beautification, social services funded? How can every person be sheltered and fed? Who needs to make change, and how? How can you advocate for the change you seek? How can your Meeting work towards these changes?
Watch:
Take action:
- Find other organizations (including AFSC programs!) that are working for a world without policing or prisons. Support and join their campaigns.
- Connect with other faith-based organizations and neighbors in your community to call on local officials to fund what your community needs: schools, healthcare, housing, employment.
Additional resources:
*Note: The workshop recording will be posted at a later time, below are links that were shared during the presentation.
- Learn more about the California Healing Justice program work.
- Stay up to date with the California Healing Justice program by signing up for the quarterly newsletter.
- Read more about AB 481.
- Read about robot transfers through the 1033 program.
- View the map of police violence.
- View the map of 1033 transfers.
- Read more about the Oakland BearCat community meeting - which AFSC was a key part of.
- Equipped for War research report.
- Learn more about multi-munitions.
- Register to join our “Think Twice” webinar series and trainings.
- Take the "Think Twice" pledge.
- Community Safety Beyond Policing.
** Content Warning ** Article includes graphic examples of effect when used on humans.
This article shows illustrations to give you an idea of what launchers and their munitions look like.