Dear Two,
I am enjoying the conversation. To me make it easier on myself (And the wonderful people who moderate for us.) I will break it up into smaller posts. please point out to me if I miss anything.
b. My point with Hatzolah was that a response is required for every 911 call. Fire, EMS, and anything else only come when they are needed. Anything undefined, they send the Police. When I was learning in Lakewood, I called Hatzolah for an unstable person who was lying in the street. If I would have been in a city and called 911i the police would have come. A lot of policing has nothing to do with crime. Suicide attempts. Lost children. Traffic control. Accident reports. Drug overdose.
The police brutality storyline will go away when people go back to work. Even if the bad cops are removed by then, it will not be enough to heal relations on the ground. The goal is to start a process that allows these neighborhoods the possibility of becoming better places to live. (This is one version. There are a lot of other ways to connect these two different parts of the communal system.)
Activists are pushing for a trade off of inner city spending. It appeals to (normal) Mayors that do not have the time or understanding to devote to fixing these communities. This way the City does not have to overspend to fund these projects. The money is there if they downsize the police force.