A few months ago the term defund the police gained traction. And St. Louis’ infamous and hellish workhouse (that has been called a modern day debtors jail) was defunded. Now close to $900,000 from its former budget will fund a program called Cops & Clinicians, which connects social workers to some 911 callers and some in-person police calls. This isn’t St. Louis’ first attempt at partnering police departments and social workers--a program existed for 3 years in the 1980s. But it isn’t common knowledge. In 2021, Cops & Clinicians will kick off in St. Louis, modeled after a successful program in Houston. Only time will tell the program’s level of success. But the 2021 program will have a unique strength that the 1980s program did not: it’s happening a time when people are demanding that policing is rethought.

Article: In The 1980s, St. Louis Police Partnered With Social Workers — Only To Abandon The Effort https://news.stlpublicradio.org/show/st-louis-on-the-air/2020-11-16/police-regularly-called-on-social-workers-for-help-in-early-1980s-st-louis

(Supplementary reading) How Cops & Clinicians Aims To Change Policing In St. Louis, Beginning With Just 16 Hires

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