Police say one co-responder team will be redeployed downtown to support outreach

Deputy Chief Kelly said the county will redeploy one of its four co-responder units to downtown beginning in October and operate it out of the downtown station to provide outreach and crisis interventions in coordination with social-service partners.

"One of the four will be stationed downtown. It'll work out of the um police station that's right here at the bottom of the parking deck. So, we'll be right in the middle of downtown and be able to um go out and engage with folks," Deputy Chief Kelly said. He described co-responder teams as officers partnered with a clinical social worker through Advantage Behavioral Health and said the unit will coordinate with the Homeless Coalition, Advantage and the Downtown Development Authority.

Committee members said focused deployment will let officers and service partners pilot a targeted approach in downtown before broader rollout; staff said existing MOUs and partnerships will be leveraged and further memoranda will specify roles.