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SWA #2: Local, State, National Governments in Action

Student

Institution

Course

Instructor

Date.
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SWA #2: Local, State, National Governments in Action

Local level.

Leaders say this strategy reduced gun violence in Omaha. Will it work in Kansas City?

Kansas City's non-profit KC Common Good is leading the charge on a new community-

based effort called KC 360, which has as its stated goals the reduction of gun violence and the

improvement of community relations. On Friday, representatives from Omaha traveled to Kansas

City to provide details about the program's effectiveness at a public safety coalition conference

hosted at Union Station, the headquarters of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

The program will model itself after the outstanding Omaha 360 effort and provide assistance for

a variety of stages: from prevention to intervention to law enforcement to reintegration and

reform. Research has analyzed the effectiveness of a bottom-up strategy that incorporates heavy

community interaction and suggests that it may be effective with the appropriate people in

charge. To minimize crime, the initiative targeted violent criminals by providing them with

resources to acquire employment, further their education, and other forms of support. Over the

last 15 years, shootings in Omaha have dropped 74%, while public complaints against the police

force have gone down. Already, Santa Fe and Oak Park communities in Kansas City have hosted

trial KC 360 programs. In contrast to the Kansas City No Violence Alliance, that former police

chief Rick Smith disbanded, KC 360 will place a greater emphasis on community involvement.

Constitution

The US Constitution, and more especially the Tenth Amendment, provides the

aforementioned government actors with constitutional authority. This amendment states that any

powers or responsibilities not delegated to the federal government or prohibited to the states by
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the Constitution are reserved for the states or the people (Constitution Annotated, n.d.).

Government officials mentioned in the paragraph may take action to curb gun violence in their

states without seeking federal clearance beforehand.

State level.

Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office working to train everyone on crisis intervention training

The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office is providing Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) to

all of its employees so that they may learn to differentiate between mental public health

emergencies and criminal behavior. The attempt to educate police and sheriffs around the

country on how to respond to a mental health crisis has led to this. KFOR tagged along on a ride

with a sheriff's lieutenant to get an inside look at the situation. Law enforcement professionals

may expect a 40-hour course modeled on the Memphis model, complete with interactive

scenarios for handling mental health emergencies. Lt. Gene Bradley, the program's mental health

administrator, also offers case management services to local citizens who are struggling with

mental health difficulties. Bradley is committed to and interested in the field of mental health. To

ensure sure those with mental illness are taking their medicine and getting to their regular

doctor's appointments, he makes weekly visits to their homes. The frequency of 911 calls from

people struggling with mental health has decreased since Bradley began making weekly visits,

and the department expects to teach the bulk of its policemen and deputies through the CIT

program in the next year.

Constitution.

State actors in the aforementioned government are empowered under the Fourteenth

Amendment to the United States Constitution. It is illegal for a state to "deny to any individual
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within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws" thanks to this amendment (Constitution

Annotated, 2020). This implies that people with mental health problems should be afforded the

same legal protections as everyone else.

National level.

Biden unveils $800 million in new Ukraine military aid, to ask Congress for more

To assist Ukraine counter Russia's military aggressiveness in the east,  President Joe

Biden has promised an extra $800 military assistance. Included in the assistance shipment are

tactical drones, ammo, howitzers, and heavy artillery. Additional direct economic support in the

amount of $500 million was also pledged by Biden to the Ukrainian government. He requested

that the Defense Department put together a plan to submit to Congress in order to get extra help

for Kyiv. A total of 72 tactical vehicles, 75 howitzers, and also more than 100 Phoenix Ghost

drones are included in the new package, according to the Pentagon. The increased funding for

Ukraine was to be discussed in the House of Representatives of the United States

following week. In addition, Biden declared that Russian-affiliated vessels would be banned

from US ports and any Ukrainians escaping the Russian invasion of their nation would be

allowed temporary entry to the US with American sponsors. Since Russia's invasion, the United

States has provided Ukraine with nearly $3 billion in military assistance.

Constitutional provision.

The US government actors in the paragraph above get their constitutional authority from

Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution, which grants Congress the power to "provide for the

common defense and general welfare of the United States," as well as the power to "declare war,

grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water"
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(Lessig, 2017). This allows Congress to provide military aid to Ukraine, as well as to pass laws

and regulations concerning the ban on Russian-affiliated ships docking in US ports.

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References.

Constitution Annotated. (n.d.). U.S. Constitution - Tenth Amendment | Resources | Constitution

Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress. Constitution.congress.gov.

https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-10/

Constitution Annotated. (2020). U.S. Constitution - Fourteenth Amendment | Resources |

Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress. Congress.gov.

https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-14/

Cronkleton, R. (n.d.). KC common good turns to Omaha for crime-fighting strategy | the Kansas

... Retrieved February 16, 2023, from

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article264690589.html

Holland, S. (2022, April 21). Biden unveils $800 million in new Ukraine military aid, to ask

Congress for more. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/biden-speak-ukraine-

war-amid-expectation-new-military-aid-2022-04-21/

Mitchell, T. (2022, August 19). Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office working to train everyone on

crisis intervention training. KFOR.com Oklahoma City. https://kfor.com/news/oklahoma-

county-sheriffs-office-working-to-train-everyone-on-crisis-intervention-training/