How Boston police officers are taking a ‘soft approach’ to policing
A group of Boston police officers are taking a “soft approach” to policing.
Their police unit, called “Operation Helping Hands,” is unlike any other unit in the city, reports The Boston Globe.
“You’re one part social worker, one part cop, and one part older brother,” Officer Michael Sullivan told the Globe.
The group, which formed in February, is made up of Sullivan, Officer Jeff Driscoll, and senior crisis clinician Ben Linsky. They spend two nights a week scouring the city to help the most vulnerable — the drug addicted, homeless, and mentally ill. Their goal is to help, rather than arrest them. It could mean driving them to the hospital or helping them secure a warm place to sleep this winter.
Police Commissioner William B. Evans said the effort has resulted in a 10 percent drop in arrests this year.
Read the full story in the Globe.
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