EL PASO, Texas – (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso City Council is set to consider a new agreement today that could change how police handle some mental health and substance abuse crisis calls by giving officers an option other than taking certain people to jail.
If approved, the proposal would create diversion center services that would allow El Paso police to take certain people in custody to a treatment-focused center rather than booking them into jail.
The goal is to get people in crisis into treatment instead of jail when they qualify.
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According to agenda documents, the agreement would be between the city, the El Paso Police Department, the county district attorney’s office, and Emergence Health Network, or EHN.
Documents show the diversion center would be open 24 hours, seven days a week and would accept both law enforcement drop-offs and walk-ins.
The center would offer crisis intervention, stabilization and referrals to other support services.
City documents also state the center could help get officers back on the street faster while connecting people with treatment.
EHN says its extended observation unit has helped more than 4,000 people in the past five years, with nearly half brought in by law enforcement.
EHN Chief Operating Officer Chrystal Davis previously spoke with us about another partnership between EHN and EPPD, the Crisis Intervention Team.
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That team responds to calls involving mental health concerns such as emotional distress, substance abuse episodes or suicidal thoughts.
“Our partnership with law enforcement specifically El Paso police department is very strong,” said Davis.
She also said, “Of the 3,809 interventions that we’ve had, 98% of those individuals have been diverted and not gone to jail or to the emergency room. So that’s highly successful and touted very highly from the state.”
If approved, the agreement would run through November 2028, with an option to automatically renew for one additional year.
Council can either approve the agreement as presented or direct staff to come back with other options.
DRAFTED AGREEMENT:
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