Denver opens services center intended as arrest alternative
Denver’s Department of Public Safety opened a center this week for connecting people to social and behavioral health services, both from law enforcement referrals in lieu of some arrests and on a walk-in basis.
Aimed at addressing root causes of crime, some services offered by the Assessment, Intake and Diversion (AID) Center will include assistance navigating housing, food and hygiene supplies, mental health support, substance use and sober living services, employment support and services for veterans, according to a news release.
Groups such as the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) and Street Enforcement Team can also refer people to the center, according to the city’s announcement. STAR deploys mental health clinicians with paramedics to low-level, non-violent situations better suited for behavioral health professionals than law enforcement.
The Street Enforcement Team, under the oversight of the Department of Public Safety, is a team of civilians authorized to enforce “quality of life” ordinances.
The department’s director, Armando Saldate, told a City Council committee last year that people booked into jail on public health-related offenses, which often involve addiction or mental illness, are usually released within a few hours without connections to any services or intervention. About 20% of weekly jail bookings at the time included people with a mental health or suicide alert.
“One thing is clear, and that is public health is increasingly at the center of public safety, and bringing these two elements together is essential to any strategy to make our streets safer and healthier,” Mayor Michael Hancock said in a statement about the AID Center’s launch. “This center is designed to recognize the need for blending law enforcement with public health, and creating accountable alternatives to jail for those individuals who are willing to engage with treatment.”
Municipal offenses eligible for diversion to the center instead of arrests include prostitution, shoplifting, trespassing, public fighting and disturbing the peace, though domestic violence is excluded. State offenses eligible include prostitution and possession of controlled substances with no intent to distribute.
The AID Center is located at 1370 Elati St. and operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Denver opens services center intended as arrest alternative
Denver’s Department of Public Safety opened a center this week for connecting people to social and behavioral health services, both from law enforcement referrals in lieu of some arrests and on a walk-in basis.
Aimed at addressing root causes of crime, some services offered by the Assessment, Intake and Diversion (AID) Center will include assistance navigating housing, food and hygiene supplies, mental health support, substance use and sober living services, employment support and services for veterans, according to a news release.
Groups such as the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) and Street Enforcement Team can also refer people to the center, according to the city’s announcement. STAR deploys mental health clinicians with paramedics to low-level, non-violent situations better suited for behavioral health professionals than law enforcement.
The Street Enforcement Team, under the oversight of the Department of Public Safety, is a team of civilians authorized to enforce “quality of life” ordinances.
The department’s director, Armando Saldate, told a City Council committee last year that people booked into jail on public health-related offenses, which often involve addiction or mental illness, are usually released within a few hours without connections to any services or intervention. About 20% of weekly jail bookings at the time included people with a mental health or suicide alert.
“One thing is clear, and that is public health is increasingly at the center of public safety, and bringing these two elements together is essential to any strategy to make our streets safer and healthier,” Mayor Michael Hancock said in a statement about the AID Center’s launch. “This center is designed to recognize the need for blending law enforcement with public health, and creating accountable alternatives to jail for those individuals who are willing to engage with treatment.”
Denver safety committee hears details about potential jail alternative
Municipal offenses eligible for diversion to the center instead of arrests include prostitution, shoplifting, trespassing, public fighting and disturbing the peace, though domestic violence is excluded. State offenses eligible include prostitution and possession of controlled substances with no intent to distribute.
The AID Center is located at 1370 Elati St. and operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.