ITHACA, N.Y. — Following months of planning, the City of Ithaca is moving into the recruitment phase of its long-awaited unarmed responder program. City officials are looking to hire four community responders who will answer certain nonviolent calls for service as part of the ROOTS Team, or Responders Offering Outreach Trust and Support.In addition to reducing reliance on police response, the program aims to reduce disproportionate contact between marginalized communities and the criminal justice system. The program has been years in the making. The concept emerged as part of Ithaca and Tompkins County’s Reimagining Public Safety reform initiative in 2021. Although the community responder proposal received strong community support, its rollout was delayed by an ethics investigation into city officials and leadership transitions. The initiative regained momentum this year. In February, the Common Council approved the phased rollout of the program, and more recently, a startup budget was adopted.https://ithacavoice.org/2026/07/ithaca-city-officials-begin-hiring-process-for-unarmed-responder-program/https://607newsnow.com/news/258852-city-of-ithaca-hiring-for-unarmed-responder-program/https://www.cityofithacany.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/1445https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2026/07/24/ithaca-begins-hiring-for-unarmed-responder-program/
Previously allocated funding, combined with an initial investment, will support the pilot by covering personnel, equipment, training and operational expenses.Monalita Smiley, director of the Tompkins County Community Justice Center, said in a statement that ROOTS represents years of work “to build a response model centered on care, connection, and trust.”“As we move into recruitment, we are looking for people who are grounded in community, skilled in engagement, and ready to help shape this program from the ground up alongside our partners,” Smiley said.The four new hires — which include a working supervisor, two part-time responders and one full-time responder — will support the initial program pilot phase. Responders will work with the Ithaca Police Department, the Community Justice Center, and other service providers to respond to calls and connect residents with needed support. The application deadline is Aug. 12.City officials are encouraging people with outreach experience and deescalation knowledge to apply, along with those who are passionate about building community trust. Responders are expected to work with people experiencing housing instability, mental health challenges and other non-violent incidents. Jamie Flynn, Director of Human Resources said in a statement that the program offers a unique opportunity for anyone interested in public service in Ithaca.“We are committed to a hiring process that is accessible, inclusive, and aligned with the City’s goals. We encourage candidates from a wide range of professional and lived experiences to apply.” Flynn said.Those interested in applying can visit the City’s Civil Service employment portal. City officials plan to share further program updates as the hiring process moves forward.
Ithaca officials have begun recruiting four community responders for a new program designed to handle certain nonviolent calls without police, according to The Ithaca Voice.The ROOTS Team, short for Responders Offering Outreach Trust and Support, will include a working supervisor, one full-time responder and two part-time responders.The pilot program is intended to reduce reliance on police and limit disproportionate contact between marginalized communities and the criminal justice system.Responders will work with police, the Community Justice Center and service providers to assist people facing housing instability, mental health challenges and other nonviolent situations.Applications are due Aug. 12, with the city seeking candidates who have outreach, de-escalation and community engagement experience.
>>539779384>reduce reliance on police and limit disproportionate contact between marginalized communitiesTotal nigger uninhibited violence Royale!
>>539779180?!what?!Get fucking minimum wage Batman??>unarmed responder never kills
Ithaca isnt a city? Is it? I thought it was just a town next to Cortland. Based Cortica Jug
It's a win-win. Only brainrotted leftshits will apply, eager to prove that those poor oppressed niggers only need a compassionate basedboy or foid to calm them down. We get to watch said leftshits get merced, and laugh. Normie fence-sitters will not laugh but may come off the fence seeing it. Niggers get to go to prison for mercing a leftshit, hopefully before they hurt anyone who desn't deserve it. Decent folks thus get saved from nigger violence. This is an exceptionally good initiative.
>>539779822Ithaca is a sanctuary cityyou have to be a powervictim and gay retard to enter thereIthaca is a designated sanctuary city that limits local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration agencies and protects access to marginalized care.Core PoliciesImmigrant Protections: Originally passed in 1985 and expanded in February 2017 and February 2025, city policy blocks the Ithaca Police Department from using municipal resources or time to enforce federal immigration laws or partner with ICE.Gender-Affirming Care: Passed a local law in September 2023 establishing sanctuary protections for individuals seeking gender-affirming and mental health care, restricting cooperation with out-of-state investigations.Surveillance Rollback: Voted unanimously in March 2026 to decommission and remove all 22 automated Flock Safety license plate readers following public concern over data sharing and local sanctuary conflicts.Federal ContextFunding Pressures: The city faces ongoing political friction and federal funding threats tied to its non-cooperation stance, receiving roughly $25 million annually in federal aid.Jurisdiction Lists: Federal tracking lists from agencies like the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security have repeatedly added and subsequently scrubbed or modified Ithaca's designation amid shifting national administrative policies.
>>539779180>give everyone lethal weapons>except the ones you're intentionally sending into high risk situations.Clowns.
I just want to clear some turmoil within and say that ithaca is filled with some of the most soulless and extremely mentally retarded sacks of shit i have ever encountered in my entire life. I have no qualm with saying they are bad human beings. If you ever saw that game I think it is called "Dustborn,"the people there are exactly like that.They are really vile. That place deserves everything it puts on itself.
>>539779180>nigger violence>respond unarmednow hiring
>>539781246kek
>>539779180My rational side says this is a scam to steal money through the budget and to deflect incidents that would potentially create bad publicity for the police. But my tinfoil hat says>and other non-violent incidentssuch as no-no words and "harmful opinions">limit disproportionate contact between marginalized communities and the criminal justice systemwhich means that an incident will only go on record if the ideologue responder lets it. They are going to swipe crimes and behaviours under the rug this way.
>>539780632The idea is that these are low risk scenarios, anon.Mind you that is not “no risk”, and that having a gun immediately reduces any risk; but you are still being retarded.
>>539779180I'm sure at first they're going to have a few naive ideologues who think they can magically talk down a schizo with a knife in the middle of a psychotic break.But in the long run, especially of they try to expand the program, they're not going to find enough people stupid enough to put themselves in that position.
another nice thing we cant have because gun nuts ruin everything
>>539779180Good. Send retarded liberals to respond to violent niggers, and maybe they'll learn why police need to have guns.
>>539779180you guys gotta be careful what you wish for
>>539781518>a scam to steal money through the budget been done before, too. This is one of the most corrupt cities/counties in northeast U.S. and a lof ot this shit doesnt get recognition. It's truly the east coast Portland.They even had a Jr. Obama (Svante) as mayor who really destroyed the shit out of the place
There's no such thing as a non-violent situation with niggers.
>>539782425>maybe they'll learnanon.........
You wouldn’t have the push for this if you just euthanized or permanently institutionalized mentally ill people. That's the main point of contention: police respond to a case involving a mentally ill "person" and get blamed for not "de-escalating".
>>539779180>community responders who will answer certain nonviolent calls for serviceIn other words, they want cops who have none of the authority or force of cops. Send them to handle minority disputes. What could go wrong?
>>539782981I don't even understand why ANYONE would voluntarily sign up for the police in a city with a significant portion of niggers. Have you no sense at all??
I hope they have body cams
>>539783546I can barely tolerate them in normal life, imagine having to deal with this shit daily, on top of meth'd out whites and drunken spics.
>>539779180They'll do what Portland did>city council hires a company to manage>company is owned by relatives of the city council>pays hugely inflated wages>never show up>crime skyrocketsPerpetuate the problem, sell the solution, never actually fix anything.
>>539783546They hate and want to destroy niggers, duh.
>>539783413the place and many places are run by mentally ill people, so why would they want to euthanize themselves?sure they want to further damage their own brains, but they don't want to die.
>>539779180AKA future manslaughter victim
I find it funny how you guys think it'll be a white liberal who shows up, and not the intended demographic which is a bunch of black women and "old heads" of the community who will "quiet these lil niggas" but in reality they'll just cover up crimes for them, try to get them bailed out and ESPECIALLY take their side if they attack a white person. It's literally racial policing but you guys are like "haha this is fine because some white becky will get stabbed"
>>539783878In Canada we were going to allow mentally ill people to receive doctor-assisted suicide back in 2017, but the conservatives keep delaying it. Currently our culture encourages dead weight with disabilities to go through with it. Is doctor-assisted suicide not a thing in America?
> this is actually a great idea.
>>539779180>>539780632>>539781246>>539781518>>539781803>>539782425I know /pol/ mocks this, but I've seen enough bodycam footage of cops respoding to a medical emergengy and ending up arresting/injuring a person who is suffering from dementia/diabetes/seizure to think this isn't as silly as it sounds.
