To realize a world free of police violence, we need to invest in alternatives to police. Durham residents have the opportunity to do so this year — if their city council approves the funding.
If you are a resident of Durham, NC, sign this petition now to expand the city’s HEART program!
In June 2022, the City of Durham’s Community Safety Department launched the HEART (Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Team) program to offer the care that Durham residents need when experiencing nonviolent mental health crises or quality of life concerns. During the first year pilot phase, HEART workers have delivered aid, supplies, community resources, and much more to community members, in over 4000 responses, taking an average of 5.47 minutes to arrive at the scene. HEART provides crisis call diversion, care navigation, and community response. Shout out to all the many Durham activists and elected officials in Durham who have pioneered this approach for the community!
All of Durham deserves access to skilled, compassionate, unarmed care in crisis. The Have a HEART campaign uniting small businesses, houses of faith, agencies, organizations, and individuals to call for fully funded 24/7 citywide access to HEART.
Help the campaign reach 3,000 signatures and sign (or share!) the petition →