On August 22, 2023, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm EST, the UNC School of Government Criminal Justice Innovation Lab (the Lab) will host a FREE webinar, Reimagining Police Crisis Response.
In many communities, law enforcement officers are first responders to calls for service involving social issues like homelessness and mental health and substance use crises. But leaders and the communities they serve are looking for better options. Alternative responder programs have the potential to promote public safety, more effectively use law enforcement resources, connect people with needed services, and reduce reliance on the justice system to address these complex issues.
In this webinar, participants will hear from law enforcement leaders and a behavioral health specialist about innovative alternative responder programs. We’ll cover different program models, along with program benefits and challenges and implementation recommendations. Panelists include:
Chief Reed Baer — Hickory, NC Police Department
Chief Christopher Hatton — Sylva, NC Police Department
Chief Celisa Lehew — Chapel Hill, NC Police Department
Amy Griffith, Diversion Services Director – RHA Health Services, Burlington, NC
Although featuring North Carolina stakeholders, the content is relevant to communities nationwide.
To register for the webinar, click here. It will be hosted via Zoom.
This webinar is part of the Alternative Responder Project, a partnership between the Lab and the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police. For more information about that project, check out the Phase I project report, which we just released. We’ll share more about that report in an upcoming blog post but come to the webinar to hear directly from the people implementing these programs in their communities.
For more information, contact Hannah Turner at the Lab, hturner@sog.unc.edu.