Responding to Crisis: Alternative Response Programs for Behavioral Health Calls

Monday, October 16, 2023

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM PST

Location: Room: 3

Submitter & Moderator(s)

Jesenia Alonso

Program Manager
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
Alexandria, Virginia, United States

Speaker(s)

Ryan Smith

Director, Community Safety
City of Durham, North Carolina
Durnham, North Carolina, United States
Patrice Andrews

Chief of Police
City of Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina, United States
Mariela Ruiz-Angel

Director
City of Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Harold Medina

Chief of Police
City of Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

In the U.S., there are 240 million 911 calls every year in which dispatch determines the response needed. Leaders from Durham, North Carolina, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, will discuss their alternative response programs, which benefit police and the community by providing alternate options to address the root cause of an individual’s behavior. Durham Community Safety Department works with the police to enhance public safety through four crisis response programs that respond to individuals at any crisis level. Albuquerque’s Community Safety Department utilizes a public health model with a non-law enforcement-led response for non-violent 911 calls. The panelists will discuss the development and implementation of their programs in addition to the successes and challenges they’ve encountered.