In 2017, P.A.D., or Atlanta’s Policing Alternatives & Diversion initiative, started accepting cases diverted from the police. Black trans sex workers were organizing against banishment ordinances. They saw people on the streets. But there was no help. So, they created it.
We spoke with Ash DeSilva for our new podcast, “Don’t Cop Out,” to learn how.
The root of P.A.D.’s mission is reducing incarceration over quality of life concerns. Think, mental health crises, substance use, and houselessness. Instead of handcuffs and weapons, P.A.D. comes armed with first aid, CPR, and overdose training. And they stick around.
Long-term case management paired with consent means P.A.D. won’t give up on you - but they’ll only do what you allow. Some people aren’t receptive to help one day, but P.A.D. will be there when they are.
Building self-advocacy is key, from accessing medication to family unification. P.A.D. is also intentional about diverse hiring, to connect people in crisis with workers with similar lived experiences.
When systems have failed us for so long, it’s understandable that many are hesitant to trust new alternatives. But those alternatives are responses to those failures in the first place, community members working to give each other what we all deserve.
DeSilva encourages, “Give it a chance.”
To find help, not harm, you can dial 3-1-1 between 7:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. on weekdays in Atlanta and other select U.S. cities. To learn more about P.A.D. and other police alternatives nationwide, check out “Don’t Cop Out” here: https://www.pushblack.us/dont-cop-out-podcast.