I am going to tell you about Night Patrols.

In many towns, cities and communities with large Aboriginal communities they have what is called a Night Patrol. These are local Indigenous community members who drive around and collect anybody who might get to trouble with the cops.

Aboriginal people who have drunk a little too much, Aboriginal kids who are out late and might get hassled, couples having domestics, anybody who might cause a ruckus is met by the night patrol and offered a lift home.

They were started by the communities because in those areas the police had a tendency to over-police Aboriginal people causing any sort of ruckus outdoors and those people can get a police record or could end up dead in custody. It was considered better if they were taken home.

In Alice Springs the cars they drive are ex-cop vehicles donated by the police because they are reducing police work load. In areas with Night patrols numbers of Aboriginal people in custody or in trouble is way lower than those without.

So I ask you, why not have Night Patrols everywhere, for everybody not just for Aboriginal people? They do one of the jobs the police claim to do (stopping public disorder) but without harming anyone.

Then, if we don't need the police doing that #DefundThePolice

Oh one last thing. I have heard of the police, in some places, calling the Night Patrol to collect someone who has been drinking and take them home. It saves lives.