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Council and BPD discuss behavioral health response in Broadway‑Fillmore; city contracted team works daytime hours
Summary
Council members asked for better linkage between BPD and behavioral health services in Broadway‑Fillmore and sought data on the contracted Endeavor team’s operations; BPD said the team typically operates 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., can work overtime and that the city recently extended the contract for six months.
Council members raised Item 7 on Oct. 8 to address behavioral health crises in the Broadway‑Fillmore area and how the city’s behavioral health response teams are deployed.
Council member Mitch Nowakowski said outreach and Narcan distribution have reduced fatal overdoses but that people who survive often return to the same locations without sustained treatment. He urged a coordinated approach among BPD, the county health department and treatment providers to link people to services instead of repeatedly moving the problem between neighborhoods.
BPD officials said the city contracts with a behavioral health team (identified in the meeting as Endeavor) that generally works 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and can be assigned overtime; the unit includes a captain, two lieutenants and 10 officers for the police‑led component, the department said. Officers and dispatch can request the team for active calls; officers may also submit follow‑up referrals for daytime outreach.
Why it matters: Council members and police leaders said behavioral health calls frequently occur outside standard business hours, and several asked whether the contracted model should include on‑call or overnight coverage. Officials said expanding after‑hours coverage would likely require changes to contract terms and additional funding or overtime arrangements.
Committee action: The committee voted to table the item and asked the department and Endeavor to provide utilization data (time of day, volume and locations) and a summary of program activity during contracted hours.
Speakers quoted in this article are identified in the meeting minutes and included in the speaker list below.
