{"id":381,"date":"2022-09-05T19:36:23","date_gmt":"2022-09-05T19:36:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hlsorgs3stg.wpenginepowered.com\/nlg\/?page_id=381"},"modified":"2025-08-01T21:04:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T21:04:26","slug":"alternatives-to-calling-the-police","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/orgs.law.harvard.edu\/nlg\/alternatives-to-calling-the-police\/","title":{"rendered":"Alternatives to Calling the Police"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Download the Flyer!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Read the Report: The Case for the Abolition of the HUPD<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

ASK YOURSELF BEFORE CALLING THE POLICE\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Is this merely an inconvenience? Can I put up with this and be okay?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. No, I need to respond. Can I handle this on my own? Can I talk it out with the other person?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. No, I need backup. Is there a friend or neighbor I could call to help me?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. No, I need more backup. Can we use mediation to talk it through or is there a hotline I can call?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. No. If I call the police, do I understand someone may be killed, injured, or abused?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Don\u2019t be a cop! When calling these resources to \u201chelp\u201d someone else, get consent first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Disclaimer: While these resources are alternatives to calling the police, there is no guarantee these orgs will not call 911 if they deem necessary.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    IN CAMBRIDGE\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    THEFT AND PROPERTY RECOVERY<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Nationally, police \u201csolve\u201d fewer than 1 in 5 property crimes like theft. In most cases, property is not recovered. If you have renters\u2019 insurance, check your deductible (below that, insurance pays nothing) and process for reimbursement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Mental Health Emergency Crisis Intervention: on-site psych evals for most insured\/MassHealth clients: 1-800-981-4357<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255<\/strong> or chat online suicidepreventionlifeline.org\/chat\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Substance Use Helpline: call for substance use treatment, detox, & recovery services: 1-800-327-5050<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    CASPAR FirstStep Outreach Team: on-site rapid response overdose prevention and help for homeless people in crisis. Based out of 240 Albany St. shelter: 617-592-6895<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Access-Needle Exchange: free Narcan & clean needles \u2013 (617) 599-0246<\/strong> \u2013 359 Green St.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    VIOLENCE PREVENTION<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Emerge: group therapy and anger management for people who want to change their abusive behavior 617- 547-9879 or email info@emergedv.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Parents Helping Parents: free stress management hotline and parental support groups 1-800-632-8188<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    OTHER HEALTH<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Poison Control Expert Hotline: 1-800-222-1222<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cambridge EMS: Non-emergency medical needs including free home visit or for answers to medical questions (for Cambridge residents only) 608-423-3511<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bridge Over Troubled Waters: mobile medical van for emergency & preventative health care for youth ages 14-24 experiencing homelessness 617-423-9575<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    MATERIAL AID<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Material Aid and Advocacy Program: links to support services and resources for COVID times and beyond www.maapma.org\/covid19resources<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC): 24\/7 crisis hotline & long-term services 1-800-841-8371 or chat online barcc.org\/help\/services\/hotline<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Safelink: 24\/7 hotline for domestic violence counseling, emergency housing, and more services 877-785-2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Transition House: 24\/7 hotline for support, safety planning, and connection to resources (617) 661-7203<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cambridge Health Alliance<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2022 Victim crisis intervention and response<\/strong>: 617-591-6033<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2022 Victim resources and safety planning<\/strong>: (617) 665-2992<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2022 Center for Homicide Bereavement<\/strong>: crisis intervention and counseling for homicide survivors 617-591-6123<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Report Hate Crimes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2022 Council on American-Islamic Relations of MA: cairma.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2022 Mass Transgender Political Coalition: masstpcs.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    SAFETY BEYOND POLICING<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Know your neighborhood. Introduce yourself to your neighbors, learn their names, make a list of their phone numbers, say hello when you walk by. Check in with vulnerable neighbors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Learn bystander intervention, de-escalation, and street harassment responses. ihollaback.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Learn First Aid & CPR. cambridgeareaems.com\/events\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Pods and pod-mapping: who are the people you can can call on if you\u2019ve been harmed, caused harm, or witnessed harm? bit.ly\/PodsResource<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    PLANTING SEEDS OF ABOLITION<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    1. Join or support local organizing efforts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2022 The Black Response (@Black_Response)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2022 Community For Us By Us (@CommunityFUBU)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2022 Driving Families Forward<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2022 Building Up People Not Prisons Coalition<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2022 SURJ Boston<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2022 City Life \/ Vida Urbana<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Learn from elsewhere. <\/strong>Cure Violence is a public health anti-violence program in 10 US cities proven to reduce shootings and killings with trained street violence interrupters and outreach, public ed, campaigns, and community action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Learn more about transformative justice<\/strong> at TransformHarm.org<\/a> & creative-interventions.org\/tools\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    ASK YOURSELF BEFORE CALLING THE POLICE\u2026 Don\u2019t be a cop! When calling these resources to \u201chelp\u201d someone else, get consent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2257,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-381","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5BZ9I-69","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/orgs.law.harvard.edu\/nlg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/orgs.law.harvard.edu\/nlg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/orgs.law.harvard.edu\/nlg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orgs.law.harvard.edu\/nlg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2257"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orgs.law.harvard.edu\/nlg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=381"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/orgs.law.harvard.edu\/nlg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/381\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/orgs.law.harvard.edu\/nlg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}