Alternatives to policing: Systemic harm reduction that saves trans and queer lives

“Who you gonna call?”  Often, when people encounter noisy neighbors, a possible intimate partner violence altercation, a person sleeping on a park bench, a teen asking for money or food outside a store, a trans woman walking down the street at night, or a suicidal friend, their immediate response is to call the police.  Although most people believe they are being helpful, calling the police may escalate the situation and even result in death.  “Who you gonna call?”  Learn more about the ghosts of the past, outdated, and ineffective ways of addressing conflict, human diversity, and mental health challenges without engaging the police.  Participants will leave with practical, alternative, and harm-reduction strategies, that will literally save trans and queer lives.