Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and U.S. Representative Jason Crow reintroduced the Supporting Mental Assistance Responder Teams Community Policing Act or SMART Community Policing Act to dedicate funding for collaborative partnerships between law enforcement and local responders. The legislation would allow health professionals, case managers, and outreach teams to engage people experiencing crises related to mental health, poverty, homelessness, or substance use disorders and to de-escalate challenging situations. Studies confirm that community policing produces better outcomes for public safety while saving limited resources.
“Colorado has proven that community policing improves public safety and saves tax dollars by meeting mental health and drug-related emergencies with resource-based responses,” said Bennet. “Law enforcement should focus on violent crime while trained health and social service professionals de-escalate emergencies and connect individuals with services they need. This legislation draws on Colorado’s leadership and expands the successes of community policing nationwide.”
“We’ve seen community policing work in Colorado, and I’m glad to partner with Senator Bennet to bring this public safety model to the rest of the nation,” said Crow. “Our bill will help ensure law enforcement has the resources to protect our communities and connect people in need with local mental health and other life-saving services.”
The SMART Community Policing Act would create or expand programs that:
- Pair a mental health clinician with a paramedic or emergency medical technician (EMT) to respond to certain low-risk calls to the 911 system;
- Train crisis workers to respond to calls for service and help stabilize encounters;
- Provide mental health services for persons, including those in crisis who may need further evaluation and treatment;
- Stabilize encounters between law enforcement officers and people experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis and connect them with appropriate support programs;
- Build case management and outreach teams to follow up with people to develop specific solutions to reduce repeat interactions with emergency services.
The legislation is based on Denver’s STAR Program and Grand Junction’s Co-Responder Program. Denver’s STAR Program has responded to almost 7,500 calls for service that would have otherwise required police to respond. Grand Junction’s Co-Responder Unit has responded to over 3,200 crisis calls.
“By combining the skills of highly trained Police Officers with mental health clinicians we are able to provide a safer environment to address the needs of an individual experiencing a mental health crisis,” said Matt Smith, Chief of Police, Grand Junction Police Department. “This collaborative effort allows many individuals to get resources at home or the most appropriate treatment facility for their individual needs.”
“SMART delivers a continuum of care from crisis response through stabilization, with the ultimate goal of safe return to the community,” Jaime FitzSimons, Sheriff, Summit County Sheriff’s Office. “SMART’s response offers broader benefits too, such as de-escalating situations that might have otherwise led to arrests or hospitalizations and achieving significant cost savings through community stabilization. The program has been nothing short of a miracle, in its effectiveness in improving public safety and providing appropriate care while reducing strain on law enforcement. I applaud and appreciate Senator Michael Bennet’s leadership in proposing legislation to expand such initiatives nationwide, recognizing them as essential for the future of community policing.”
“The co-responder program in Eagle County is addressing mental health crises with trained mental health clinicians, community paramedics and when needed by law enforcement officers,” said Ryan Kenney, Police Chief, Vail Police Department. “ The program has drastically reduced emergency room visits and worked to keep patients in their homes while getting the services they need. Someone experiencing a mental health crisis needs the support and expertise of professionals who are trained to recognize and respond to their specific symptoms. The co-responder program in Eagle County has limited law enforcement’s role in these incidents and allowed law enforcement to dedicate their time to public safety. The work Senator Bennet is doing ensures that co-responder programs like the one in Eagle County have the support they need to continue to provide these critical services.”
The text of the bill is available HERE. A summary of the bill is available HERE.
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