On a recent episode of “Law & Disorder” host Cat Brooks explored community-based alternatives to policing and ongoing debates over public safety funding in Oakland. Representatives from the Justice Team Network and the Anti-Police Terror Project explored the vision behind the Care Not Cops Conference, examining how communities can invest in care, healing, and supportive services rather than traditional law enforcement. Guests included Tanisha Cannon, Guadalupe Chavez, Diego Jimenez, and UCLA social welfare professor David C. Turner III, who discussed racial justice, healing-centered approaches, and strategies for building safer communities without reliance on policing.

Referencing recent incidents in which police killed a family’s dog during a New York Knicks celebration and fatally shot a one-year-old child during an alleged shoplifting investigation, Dr. David C. Turner III argued that society too often treats policing as the primary response to conflict.

“Reimagining public safety doesn’t mean conflict won’t exist,” said Dr. David C. Turner III. “It means creating the systems, tools, and strategies to intervene when conflict arises. That’s what creates real safety for people. Police do not create that safety—they often exacerbate the violence.”

The “Law & Disorder” podcast exposes the cracks in our system, agitates for resistance and collectively builds a new world where that centers Black experience, movement building and art.

Listen to the full podcast episode.