On Monday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey helped announce a new program that will aim to remove the need for police officers to respond to every 911 call.
The city is now launching a Behavioral Crisis Response Team that will look to do exactly that, having trained professionals respond to specific calls instead of officers.
The trained professionals will provide crisis intervention and counseling when the situation is appropriate. The response team will work with Canopy Roots, a mental health and consulting organization, serving as its provider.
Minneapolis City Councilman Philippe Cunningham shared on Monday that this alternative to traditional policing has been in the works for more than two years. He shared that this program will be able to give certain residents the help "they actually need."
"It helps us identify those critical moments where we can actually disrupt cycles of crime and violence, be able to disrupt someone's involvement with various institutions in the criminal justice system," Cunningham said.
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The program will begin with two mobile crisis response units operating throughout the city from 7:30 p.m. to midnight Monday through Friday, eventually ramping up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Each vehicle will be operated by two behavioral health responders and stocked with water, socks, snacks, and toiletries. They will be dispatched by Minneapolis 911 responders.
"By using a design process that requires all solutions to problems be co-built with residents, who are also the end-users, we are confident that we are now providing another alternative police response that will be trusted, impactful, and supported by the people that need these services," Brian Smith, interim director of Strategic Management and director of the Office of Performance and Innovation, said.
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The team does not eliminate the need for police response to their calls entirely, as the city shared in its press release officers will still respond to calls if needed.
"The Minneapolis Police Department will only be on scene if dispatch determines the need to clear the scene first or the response teams request assistance to complete their work," the press release said.
Residents having a "behavioral crisis" or reporting are still encouraged to call 911 for help, however, the teams will not respond to incidents involving firearms or violent behavior.
