After a slow start to getting a safety beyond policing plan off the ground in Minneapolis, city leaders are celebrating the success of their behavioral crisis response program.
Local mental health organization Canopy Roots has spent the last two years building a team that provides unarmed staff to respond to people in crisis calling 911.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says its all apart of the city's safety beyond policing plan.
"If you've got a fire you want a firefighter, a robbery means a police officer, if you've got a water main that breaks your probably want a public works professional," says Frey. "And yes, if you have a mental health emergency you want someone to be able to provide the counseling and mental health expertise that you wouldn't otherwise get."
Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnett says the link between the program and emergency services has been vital.
"By using 911 as the initial place where a person calls, we're making sure that we're getting the correct appropriate response for the situation," says Barnett. "And I think what we find is that again and again when we come together like this with community, we're finding success."
Research shows one1 in four fatal police encounters in the U.S. involve an individual with a serious mental illness and Mayor Frey says he hopes continued support for the program can set an example for other major cities.
City leaders say the program has been an asset during the police shortage. State data shows teams responded to more than 7,600 mental health calls last year alone.