EAST LANSING, Mich. — At the East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission’s public meeting on Wednesday, March 1, a special guest speaker, Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton, will be in attendance to provide a presentation about 911 programs.
Clayton is a nationwide expert on 911 and co-chair of Transform911. An excerpt from the Transform911 Blueprint for Change is provided below:
“Across America, at least 240 million calls are made to 911 each year. Many of these result in timely responses from a dedicated group of 911 professionals to medical emergencies, fires and serious crimes in progress. This everyday excellence—24 hours a day, 365 days a year—is a remarkable, often lifesaving accomplishment. Indeed, 911 professionals are true first responders. At the same time, the majority of calls to 911 are for issues that fall outside the scope of emergency calls, ranging from noise complaints to minor traffic collisions or mental health crises. These calls do not require a police, fire or medical response, and people impacted by the criminal justice system, along with 911 professionals and police officers, have been arguing for years that something needs to change in the 911 system.”
Sheriff Clayton will discuss screening 911 calls to determine when police responses are necessary and using unarmed or non-police teams of first responders to respond to some 911 calls involving, for instance, homelessness or family and mental health crises.
Sheriff Clayton’s presentation will begin at 7 p.m. and will be followed by questions and answers. The presentation will take place at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road, and it is being sponsored by the East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission.