In a move reflecting a growing trend across various American cities, Cleveland City Councilwomen Rebecca Maurer and Stephanie Howse-Jones are stepping into a program that could change the game for public safety. Maurer and Howse-Jones are the latest additions to the Community Responder Cohort, a program driven by Local Progress, a coalition focused on fostering racial and economic justice.
The duo will be heading to Pittsburgh today, attending a three-day intensive training on community-based public safety models. As described by Cleveland City Council's official website, the program endorses the use of care and compassion in emergency responses, specifically for cases involving mental or behavioral health crises, an approach that contrasts sharply with traditional law enforcement tactics.
While in Pittsburgh, Maurer and Howse-Jones will get a firsthand look at Allegheny County Emergency Services’ approach to community response, an example yielding positive outcomes. Local Progress, the initiative's parent entity, connects a diverse mix of local officials from every kind of community, urban to rural.
In November 2024, the councilwomen introduced "Tanisha’s Law" with Councilman Charles Slife, which sought to establish co-response and care-response systems in Cleveland. This law is designed to enable behavioral health professionals to attend to non-violent emergencies, providing support where needed most. According to the Cleveland City Council's website, their venture with the Community Responder Cohort is backed by Cleveland's pledge to re-envision public safety through more humane, considerate emergency systems.
