SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced Wednesday that the city's Dual Dispatch program is expanding. This program launched last fall and allows civilian crisis responders to be dispatched to 911 calls.
The program and the Community Crisis Responders are under the city’s CARE Department, which also oversees the 911 Center. The CARE Department is referred to as the City’s third public safety department, along with police and fire.
Since the program launched in October, Seattle has had six behavioral health specialists working as Community Crisis Responders.
The responders work in teams of two and help people in crisis and connect people with resources.
The goal is to free up police officers for other emergency calls and respond in a way that best fits each situation, which the mayor said is not always police.
“When I walk downtown, I am going to be very candid here, I see a lot of people who need help, they don't need to be arrested with handcuffs,” said Harrell.
Community Crisis Responders are either dispatched by 911 with police, called to a scene to take over for police, or help people while they are patrolling.
Since October, the responders have responded to 539 calls. CARE Department Acting Chief Amy Smith hopes to expand the type of calls they assist with.
“Does this require a gun and a badge? Is there reason to believe that? Does this require fire or emergency medical transport? If neither, that stuff in the middle should be a civilian response,” said Smith.
On June 26, the city announced 18 new community crisis responders and three new supervisors will be hired on to the CARE department. These responders will also serve a bigger area. Rather than just serving the core area of Downtown Seattle, the responders will be serving citywide.
Acting Chief Smith said they expect to hire the first round of new responders in July or August and plan to have all 18 new responders working by December.
“We will immediately include neighborhoods under SPD’s East precinct, like Capitol Hill and the Central Area,” said Harrell. “And then North Seattle, and then the south and southwest.”
Harrell said the expansion of this team is a big step for public safety.
“I’m fully committed to creating a city that is safe for everyone and we know that, again, diversifying and iterating our emergency response options is going to be the key to this kind of work,” said Harrell.
The Mayor’s Office said the CARE expansion announced today will cost $1.9 million in 2024 and is paid for through federal funding secured by Congressman Adam Smith and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal.
His office said for 2024, the budget for the CARE dual dispatch pilot was $1.7 million. They said the 2025 budget is still being developed, but that this program is a top public safety priority.
The City of Seattle is expected to face a $240 million budget shortfall next year.