In the summer of 2020, amid protests and calls to defund police departments ringing out across the nation, mayor Tim Keller announced Albuquerque Community Safety, a whole new department to be dispatched through 911 emergency services to calls involving mental health, addiction, or other issues that don’t require traditional police. A team of mental health professionals go to scenes instead of, or alongside other emergency services. It’s been operating for a little over a year and it’s already expanding, as is a similar program in Santa Fe.
This week on Let’s Talk New Mexico we’re talking about the idea of expanding public safety beyond armed officers or SWAT teams and we want to hear from you! Have you encountered these alternative responders? Did you call 911 to get a hold of them? Email us at letstalk@KUNM.org or call in live during the show at (505) 277-5866
GUESTS:
- Karina Diaz, director, Doña Ana Crisis Triage Center
- Barron Jones, senior policy strategist, ACLU New Mexico
- Nicole Ault, Behavioral health Director, Santa Fe fire Department, Santa Fe
- Mariela Ruiz-Angel, director, Albuquerque Community Safety
ADDITIONAL READING:
- Rise in police shootings worries APD reformers - Albuquerque Journal
- Albuquerque Police work with Community Safety on Violence Intervention Program - KOAT-TV
- 988 crisis lifeline, Doña Ana County's mobile crisis response service unveiled - Las Cruces Sun-News
- Albuquerque Community Safety took 16K calls in first year - Albuquerque Journal
- Santa Fe’s Alternative Response Unit is expanding - KRQE-TV
- Santa Fe’s Alternative Response Unit gives city new type of first responder - Santa Fe New Mexican
- New safety teams offer aid, not handcuffs - Albuquerque Journal
- APD marks record shootings in 2022, ABQ City Council swipes at free buses - Albuquerque Journal