Kelly Williams worked in the mental health field until she heard about an interesting program at Wheat Ridge.
“We thought this was a really good opportunity to provide the same level of service outside of the community next,” Williams said.
CBS
Since 2017, Co-responders have been an integral part of the Wheat Ridge community. That’s when the city partnered with Jefferson Center Mental Health to assist officers with crisis calls. Denver County has a STAR program that works the same way.
“Having a mental health professional available to help with mental health and crisis calls can give you a different perspective,” said Bonnie Collins, a social worker and director of the Jefferson Center. “They’re trained in it.”
But it’s not just limited to mental health crises. In some cases, co-responders are called to routine service calls and can provide a human touch in the midst of criminal charges. Ms. Williams’ experience enabled her to understand the “why” of the crime that had just been committed and how co-responders could act as a deterrent to future or repeat crimes.
“These two older women were stealing from King Soopers, and while I was standing there handcuffed, I was wondering why this happened and what was going on with her,” Williams said. We talked about what our needs were.”
“We knew they couldn’t afford food and self-care products, so we got her contact information and sent her resources so she could get those products without stealing. ” Williams continued.
Some repeat petty offenders can become familiar faces on the street, especially among the chronically homeless. This allows co-responders and Jefferson Center personnel to build trusting relationships to provide services and case management to marginalized and disadvantaged populations.
Police Chief Lucas Hunt also believes this could help officers on the scene. As part of your police department training, you are expected to understand that this job is dangerous and can happen at any time. He told CBS Colorado that partnerships with co-responders and WRPD’s own training allow for humane reenlistment efforts that could deter future crimes.
“The partnership between co-responders and police officers is to de-escalate the situation and bring it down to the point where it can be dealt with at the lowest level,” Hunt said.
Andrew Haubner
