The Lafayette Police Co-Responder Program is a resource that provides a valuable new level of service for our community. Working as a team, law enforcement officers and a Boulder County behavioral health specialist respond together to calls for service that may involve mental health, substance use, or other types of crisis situations.
Approximately 25% of all of police calls for service are behavioral health crises. By drawing upon the combined expertise of the law enforcement officer and behavioral health specialist, the team can link people to appropriate services or provide other effective and efficient responses, de-escalating situations that may have resulted in an arrest. When the two arrive on scene, the team will assess the situation to decide what type of crisis the individuals may be suffering.