The Baltimore City Police Department is six weeks into a pilot program pairing officers with social workers in an effort to improve police response to calls where a person is in the midst of a mental health crisis. Officials are exploring whether the pilot, funded by grants received by Behavioral Health Systems Baltimore, can ultimately be expanded to a city-wide program.

The Baltimore Sun reports:

The pair make up a crisis response team that has answered 85 calls as part of a pilot program that officials eventually plan to take citywide. The goal is to improve relations with the public and reduce use of jails and emergency rooms for people who would be better served in treatment.

“They literally are riding in the same car,” said Kevin Davis, Baltimore’s police commissioner, who called the program long overdue during a news conference Thursday. “This will inevitably have more positive results.”

 

Read The Baltimore Sun to learn more.