SEATTLE — A new program that will pair police officers and mental health-focused responders on 911 calls launched in Seattle on Wednesday.
The Dual Dispatch pilot is backed by Seattle's new Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) department.
The program will match up with Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers and behavioral health specialists who have prior field experience and college degrees related to the field, according to the city.
Trained call takers in the Seattle 911 centers will determine whether a CARE response is appropriate based on the information received. The city said calls generally eligible for a CARE response will include "low-acuity welfare checks, calls that don’t need enforcement, and others that are non-violent, non-emergent, and non-medical."
The city's dispatch system deems these calls as “person down” or “wellness/welfare check." According to the city's release, there already have been 2,686 person down calls and 5,533 wellness/welfare check calls in 2023.
The pilot focused primarily on downtown Seattle along with the Chinatown-International District and SODO neighborhoods. CARE responders will be available from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. when the city said the most frequent calls for mental health crises occur.
“Our mission as a City government is to help people in need and keep them safe – this innovative new approach will help us better serve our residents," said Bruce Harrell, Seattle mayor. "The lessons we learn – and the people we help – through the efforts of this new CARE responder team will allow us to move forward as we establish a true third public safety department to work alongside our police officers and firefighters to keep our communities safe."
The CARE responders had more than five weeks of training designed by law enforcement officials and co-response experts. After ride-a-longs with SPD and Seattle Fire Department teams this month, the responders will be officially dispatched to appropriate calls.
