Bend Police Community Response Team aims to help people in crisis

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Community Response Team at the Bend Police Department includes an embedded social worker with officers who help individuals during a crisis, work to connect people with services and follow up with them afterward. The program, which began in 2015, seeks ways to assist people dealing with mental health related issues.

Police Chief Mike Krantz presented an overview of the Community Response Team, including this video, to the City Council at its meeting Wednesday evening.

The Bend Police Department responds to about 2,000 mental health related calls each year. In some cases, calls for service are better served by a mental health professional, Krantz said.

“We want our community to be served by the best resource for the need, and that may not always be the involvement of law enforcement for matters that don’t involve crimes or violence,” Krantz said.

A report from a Community Input Project on Policing Policies in Bend late last year highlighted community interest in this type of program.

“We are working to ensure we are providing policing services that align with community values and expectations,” said Krantz. “We’ve been on the leading edge, making positive change. We look forward to expanding capacity in our programs, so we can be more responsive to our community.”

About 72 percent of Bend’s officers have had basic crisis intervention training. The department aims to have 100 percent of officers trained in both basic and advanced crisis intervention in the future.