Ep 1.11 - Partnerships Building Law Enforcement Alternatives
Building Law Enforcement Alternatives through Partnership – Episode 11
All too often, law enforcement officers are the first and only call to make for community citizens who are reporting any issue in the neighborhoods. Regardless of the issue being reported, the system has been built around the police officer being the only person there to call. Whether the issue is one of public safety or mental illness, an officer arrives on scene as a first, and many times only, level of response, whether or not the officer has the resources necessary to be appropriately responsive. If the issue that the officer is there to address is one of poverty or mental illness, the officer is often times under equipped to properly intervene. A partnership launched in August 2020 with the intent to provide officers with a team of professionals to help address these issues that typically have fallen to law enforcement as first responders. By aligning OKDHS embedded workers with each OKCPD patrol division and mental health professionals from Northcare, a true community response team was built. The partnership, referred to as ‘TRUST’ (triaged resources urgent support team), has expanded to all patrol divisions with OKCPD and has served more than 300 people with a more appropriate response to their needs. Weekly TRUST team meetings provide a feedback loop for officers and help to build deeper relationships between officers and social workers. Now, in Oklahoma City, when a firearm is not required, the structure has been built to deploy a second wave of responders that can serve communities in need with hope centered interventions, providing a pathway to successful outcomes.
Podcast Participants: Justin Brown, Secretary of Human Services Wade Gourley, Chief of Police, Oklahoma City Police Department Paul Frederickson, Captain, Oklahoma City Police Department Partner & Funding Organizations: Oklahoma Department of Human Services Oklahoma City Police Department Northcare
Music Credit for #thousandstories podcast is given to Tayvon Lewis
