West Hollywood, California voted recently to expand its security ambassadors program, adding 30 unarmed, uniformed ambassadors to the street in an attempt to deter crime and make residents feel safer. These ambassadors cost the city significantly less per person than an armed officer—roughly 5 to 1—while serving the same “eyes on the street” function that can deter crime. And they will even help you change your flat tire.

A handful of cities–including Austin, Texas–are bringing mental health experts into 911 call centers so that dispatchers know which responder to send to provide “the right care, at the right place, at the right time.”

A new Denver, Colorado mobile crisis response program that sends healthcare experts instead of armed police officers to situations where people are experiencing a mental health crisis significantly reduces both crime and costs.

Our survey results show that voters overwhelmingly support sending medical professionals instead of armed officers to mental health and homelessness related emergency service calls, and they also support the concrete step of creating new public agencies to carry out these services.

The chasm that exists between how the police spend their time and how likely voters think the police should spend their time presents a looming crisis in legitimacy for law enforcement.

An overwhelming bipartisan majority of Americans support using money from the American Rescue Plan to fund community violence intervention programs.