KEY IDEAS:
- Co-responder programs relieve overburdened first responders while providing valuable resources to community members.
- Jurisdictions that have implemented co-responder models report reduced use of force, arrests, hospitalizations, and time spent on scene.
- This model requires deep integration among collaborating agencies, which must work together to provide a tailored, comprehensive response to each call.
- Data integration supports secure data sharing among partner agencies, improving situational awareness and ensuring the right resources are dispatched to calls for service.
Public safety agencies often interact with the same individuals over and over again — people who would be better served by long-term, community-based resources that first responders aren’t equipped to provide. Co-response models aim to divert those individuals from the law enforcement system, instead connecting them with social services that address complex challenges, such as mental health, addiction, or homelessness.
Co-response requires seamless communication, collaborative technology, and data-driven strategies. Modern tech solutions remove some of the hurdles that hinder interagency collaboration, helping agencies share data, monitor outcomes, and secure buy-in from government leaders.
To learn more about the challenges and strategies behind successful co-response models, Peregrine hosted a panel at the Safety of Our Cities Conference last month. Our panel featured four speakers:
- Deputy Chief Eric Barden (ret.), Seattle Police Department
- Jodie Esquibel, director of Albuquerque Community Safety Department
- Chief Mark Crowell, Waterloo Regional Police Service
- Dr. Amy Barden, chief of Seattle’s Community Assisted Response and Engagement department
Keep reading to learn about building a multi-agency co-response program, including what co-response is, how it works, the data it requires, and how to prove success.
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAY: A co-response model joins human services organizations with law enforcement agencies to provide a joint response to calls for service involving mental and behavioral health crises, substance use, and quality-of-life issues. Co-response aims to de-escalate situations and divert individuals from being arrested by providing comprehensive, tailored responses and services from experts.
What is co-response?
“The truth is that we've been asking our officers to do everything for so long. We've been asking them to be counselors and social workers and providers in a different way than they envisioned.” —Jodie Esquibel, Director, Albuquerque Community Safety Department
Co-response typically pairs law enforcement officers with personnel who have been trained in de-escalation and crisis response. This model closes the gap to essential services, provides a continuum of care, and relieves strain on first responders. Jurisdictions that have implemented co-responder models report reductions in use of force, arrests, hospitalizations, and time on scene.
“The truth is that we've been asking our officers to do everything for so long,” Esquibel said. “We've been asking them to be counselors and social workers and providers in a different way than they envisioned.”
Colorado demonstrates the effectiveness of co-response models: In one year, the state’s co-responder teams responded to more than 25,900 calls and avoided arrests in 98% of them, according to the behavioral health department.
“That's the longevity and the support that public safety needs right now,” Esquibel said. “That's the evolution of public safety. It's a place of support.”
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAY: Data shows that co-responder models are effective. For example, between July 2020 and June 2021, Colorado’s co-responder teams:
- Fielded more than 25,900 calls for service
- Diverted potential arrests for 98% of those calls
- Provided behavioral health assessments, community resource referrals, or other human services on 86% of active calls
How does co-response work?
Setting up a co-responder program requires an immense effort from disparate organizations and public agencies, including healthcare groups, law enforcement departments, and nonprofits. Information about vulnerable individuals often lives in silos scattered among various organizations, hindering situational awareness for first responders and community leaders. To get on the same page, co-responder partners need tech solutions that can help them share data, track complex metrics, and generate shared wins.
Co-response steps at a glance
- Intake: An operator intakes and captures a 911 or non-emergency call, noting details such as caller description, location, presenting issue, safety flags, and caller language.
- Triage: A dispatcher uses the intake details to determine the best response configuration for the call.
- Joint dispatch: The response team uses computer-aided dispatch (CAD) data to align on response directives and strategy.
- On-scene roles: Responders assume their respective roles upon arrival to assess and de-escalate the issue and create a space for effective care.
- Warm handoff: Responders stabilize the situation and quickly connect the individual in need to the appropriate resources or services.
- Follow-up: Clinicians or community partners follow up within a set window after the call to prevent a repeat crisis.
Co-response stakeholders and priorities
| Stakeholder | Responsibilities | Goals | Success metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law enforcement | Officer time Officer safety Appropriate enforcement | Arrest diversions Reduced time on scene Reduced use of force | Priority-one response times |
| Behavioral health | Continuity of care | Warm handoffs Follow-ups | Stabilization at 30, 60, and 90 days post-call |
| City and county government | Return on investment Public trust | Reduced calls from high-utilizers who call for service frequently | Repeat calls per capita |
| Community organizations | Access to resources Individual dignity | Distribution of services Connection to resources | Service and resource connections sustained |
How to create an effective co-responder program
Successful co-response requires careful planning and coordination. The Council of State Governments Justice Center recommends the following steps to build a strong foundation for community co-response:
- Establish cross-organizational partnerships. Establish relationships and information sharing agreements across your community’s various stakeholder agencies.
- Determine standard operating procedures. Work with partners to outline your program’s overarching mission. Then develop policies and procedures to support that mission.
- Understand community needs and services. Assess the existing resources and human services in your community, including the specific types of support each can provide. Work with partner agencies to narrow down the greatest needs in your community and how your program will leverage its resources to meet those needs.
- Track performance and make adjustments. Establish success metrics for your co-responder program at the outset. When the program is underway, track those metrics to determine outcome. Make strategic changes as needed.
💡 WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES OF EFFECTIVE CO-RESPONSE? Jurisdictions that have deployed co-responder teams report reductions in use of force, arrests, hospitalizations and ER visits, and officer time on scene, according to the Vera Institute of Justice.
Improve community safety through co-response
Data sharing and integration is critical for enabling integrated response. With Peregrine, each participating agency can opt into data sharing, which streamlines communication, increases situational awareness for first responders, and leads to more effective responses. Peregrine’s granular user controls ensure only authorized personnel have access to protected information.
“When you encounter a subject … you should have access to all of the relevant information related to that person,” Deputy Chief Barden said. “The Peregrine platform … allows for the sharing of information while, at the same time, protecting information regarding individuals.”
Peregrine is a data integration and analytics platform that ingests, harmonizes, transforms, and models data unified across disparate systems and organizations. The result is a common operating picture that enhances co-response efforts by joining historical data with real-time inputs to provide holistic insights on vulnerable communities. To see Peregrine in action, schedule a demo today.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about community co-response
What is a community co-response program?
A co-response program coordinates a joint response from law enforcement officers and behavioral health or community responders for certain calls for service. Its goal is to de-escalate crises, connect people to services, and reduce unnecessary arrests or hospital visits.
How do co-response models improve public safety?
They save time for first responders, reduce arrests and use of force, and divert vulnerable individuals to long-term services and critical resources. Cities using co-response often see fewer repeat calls, better community trust, and improved officer safety.
Who is part of a co-response team?
Co-response teams usually include police or sheriff’s deputies, behavioral health clinicians, paramedics or EMS, and sometimes social workers or nonprofit partners who can provide support for housing, addiction, and mental health issues.
How does data sharing make co-response work better?
When partner organizations in a co-response program can seamlessly share data with each other, dispatchers and responders can build a more comprehensive understanding of each call through simple, instant access to prior contacts, safety notes, and other critical information.
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