Raleigh police ACORNS unit works to address homelessness and mental illness

This type of community policing grew out of the calls to defund police. Instead, cities like Raleigh shifted funding for a kinder, gentler strategy.
Posted 1/17/2023, 11:38:14 PM Updated 1/18/2023, 1:58:05 AM

YOU. WE WILL DAN HAGGERTY LIVE

FOR US. THANK YOU, DAN. ANOTHER

PART OF THE RALEIGH POLICE

DEPARTMENT IS SHIFTING ITS

FOCUS AWAY FROM HANDCUFFS,

TASERS AND ARRESTS.

>> THE ACORN, JUNE, IT COMBINES

OFFICERS WITH SOCIAL WORKERS

TO HANDLE MANY CALLS WITH

UNDERLYING ISSUES LIKE

HOMELESSNESS AND MENTAL

ILLNESS. THE BUREAU'S CULLEN

BROWDER JOINS US LIVE WITH AN

UPDATE ON HOW THE PROGRAM IS

WORKING TODAY, CALLING.

>> WELL, JERROLD, THIS TYPE

OF COMMUNITY POLICING ACTUALLY

GREW OUT OF THE CALLS YEARS AGO

TO DEFUND POLICE. INSTEAD,

CITIES LIKE RALEIGH HAVE

SHIFTED SOME OF THAT FUNDING

FOR A KINDER, GENTLER STRATEGY

TODAY. RALEIGH POLICE UPDATED

CITY COUNCIL ON THEIR EFFORTS

TO PUT A MORE HUMAN FACE ON

SOME CRISIS INTERACTIONS.

>> ACORN'S ACTUALLY SEES

PEOPLE. OKAY. WE ARE ALL

PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT WE DO

AND WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT

WE'RE SEEING THE PEOPLE BEHIND

THE HOMELESSNESS BEHIND THE

MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS AND THE

SUBSTANCE

USE ISSUES.

>> COURTS WHICH STANDS FOR

ADDRESSING CRISES THROUGH

OUTREACH, REFERRALS NETWORKING

AND SERVICE COMBINES 5 POLICE

OFFICERS WITH 3 SOCIAL WORKERS

TO DEAL WITH CALLS THAT DESERVE

INTERVENTION OVER ENFORCEMENT.

LIEUTENANT RENEE LOCKHART

UPDATED COUNCIL ON THE UNITS

1035 CALLS HANDLED SINCE AUGUST

OF 2021. AND 546 PEOPLE IN

CRISIS. THEY HELPED A LINK WITH

NEEDED RESOURCES LIKE MENTAL

HEALTH SERVICES, FOOD, FAMILY

CONNECTIONS AND HOUSING.

ALL EASIER SAID THAN DONE.

THERE IS ALMOST NO AFFORDABLE

HOUSING.

>> IN THE CITY OF RALEIGH.

AND SO THOSE VOUCHERS ARE

ACTUALLY BEING RECYCLED BACK

TO RALEIGH, HOUSING AUTHORITY.

AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE FINDING

THEMSELVES STILL EXPERIENCING

HOMELESSNESS. THE UNIT NEEDS

MORE HELP. SO THIS YEAR'S

BUDGET INCLUDES $800,000 IN

ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR MORE

SOCIAL WORKERS AND OFFICERS,

A WORK IN PROGRESS, REPLACING

PUNISHMENT WHERE APPROPRIATE

WITH THE HELPING HANDS EVERY

PORE THE RESPECT

>> WHAT YOU'VE BUILT IN THE

COMMUNITY AND HAVE SINCE SEEN

YOUR INTERACTION WITH OTHERS.

IT'S AMAZING.

>> SO INSTEAD OF MAKING

ARRESTS, OFFICERS ALSO TALKED

ABOUT SOME EXAMPLES OF JUST

HELPING A PERSON TRACKED DOWN A

BIRTH CERTIFICATE IN EUROPE.

SO YOU GET AN ID SO WE COULD

GET BENEFITS. ANOTHER EXAMPLE

TO SIMPLY TRANSPORTING A PERSON

TO GET HIS MEDICATION.

COUNSELORS ABSOLUTELY PRAISE

THIS PROGRAM. THEY WANTED TO

GROW GERALD AND THEY WANTED TO

DO EVEN MORE.

>> SO MANY ASPECTS OF LAW

ENFORCEMENT UNKNOWN TO THE

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