In this episode, Rev. Ben McBride talks about defunding the police and outlines the vision of the HEAT, a program and strategy of PICO California, the statewide network of Faith in Action affiliate organizations. Ben helps us see how the reconstruction of public safety is essential for the co-creation of communities of belonging. We also talk about how our current systems of policing are the descendants of slave patrols, how faith couldn’t save our ancestors from public lynchings and how defunding the police actually calls us to reimagine safe communities and develop deep relationships with our neighbors.
HEAT is an acronym for Hiring, Equipment, Accountability and Training. The strategy invites us into an opportunity to reimagine and co-create communities of belonging. That starts with firing racist police, defunding the policing system, and investing in strategies that center the experiences of people in communities. Learn more about how you can participate in this work by visiting bringtheheat.info
