We all have a right to feel safe, and it’s safe to say that the police never were the answer and never will be. Yes, police reform is possible, but the amount of time it will take to change a system that devalues Black and brown lives in disproportionate numbers will be a change we may not witness in our generation. That being said, we all still have a right to community and the right to safety when we need it.
There have been many alternatives to policing for years, and they have worked. Here are just a few of the many, and links where you can get further reading, donate or consider volunteering for, and get started on creating your community.
- The Audre Lorde Project
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This is a community organization for LGBTGNC and People of Color Communities. Their mission is to create community and wellness and educate on social justice. They also have an extensive list of resources for LGBT from various Diasporas, with support groups, choirs, housing etc.
Resources for NYC: https://alp.org/resources/nyc
- Women Organized Against Rape (Based in Philadelphia, PA)
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They’re Philadelphia’s only Rape Crisis Center, they offer free services to anyone who has experienced sexual violence. 24/7 Hotline: (215)- 985-3333
- RAINN
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The Nation’s largest Anti Sexual Violence Network and Hotline. They offer free counseling, medical assistance, as well as legal advocacy. They also offer international support. This is a helpful resource for finding centers in your state and city, as well as finding the laws in each respective state.
Find A Center in Your State Here: https://centers.rainn.org/
Hotline Number: (800)-656-HOPE (4673)
- Guardian Angels
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Guardian Angels is a non-profit established all over the world. An absolute godsend, they operate like neighborhood watch, specifically they patrol trains and streets late at night, making things safe for women especially. They offer various services if you’d like to volunteer including self defense training, CPR, conflict resolution and basic martial arts.
Contact: http://guardianangels.org/volunteer
- Cure Violence
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A non-profit established globally, where “Violence Interrupters”, stop cycles and act of violence in various communities. They treat violence like an epidemic to be cured, rather than something that is inherent in nature. The organization also teams up with local hospitals to provide support after the trauma of violence to prevent retaliation and stop the cycle.
What they do: https://cvg.org/what-we-do/
Contact: https://cvg.org/contact/
- G-MACC (Gangstas Making Astronomical Community Changes)
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A community based program designed to help recently incarcerated individuals and at-risk youth. They offer multiple workshops to help at-risk youth and are trying to deconstruct cycles of violence as well as the school to prison pipeline.
Learn more here: http://gangstamackin.com
Too long, Black and brown lives have been undervalued and put in danger. So, for those of you always afraid for your own safety and well-being, I hope these six alternatives showed you some new options and communities you can rely on. If you know of any resources or alternatives local to your city/state I didn’t list here, please check out and add your State/City emergency resources and hotlines to this doc.
Sources:
What to Do Instead of Calling The Cops
Additional Reading:
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A good read that talks about various community resources, as well as resources for alternative courts.
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“INCITE! is a network of radical feminists of color organizing to end state violence and violence in our homes and communities.” (From their website)
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A group of Black women volunteers from Oakland, CA respond to medical emergencies, instead of people calling 911.
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Just as it sounds, it’s a network that trains individuals to respond to mental health crises. First Aid for the Brain, essentially.
SLG (Sista’s Liberated Ground)
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A group of women in Brooklyn who have established a community watch as well, as speak about intersectional feminism in this pdf.
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A tool where you can see the number of arrests in any major city, as well as racial disparity and bias, and what charge the arrest was based on.