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Madison highlights ARRIVE mental-health co-responder program, cites drop in crisis calls and zero use-of-force incidents
Summary
Madison Police Chief presented the borough's participation in the ARRIVE program — a police–clinician co-response initiative funded by a Department of Human Services grant — and reported a roughly 30% drop in emotionally disturbed person calls and zero use-of-force incidents on ARRIVE-type calls in 2024.
Madison Police Chief Bishop told the borough council that Madison’s participation in the ARRIVE (Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence and Education) program has reduced repeat mental‑health crisis calls and lowered use‑of‑force incidents.
Chief Bishop said ARRIVE pairs a Mental Health Association clinician with a police officer on certain crisis calls and that Madison joined a multi‑town pilot after county prosecutors expanded the program. He told the council the initiative is fully funded by a Department of Human Services grant, with no cost to participating towns.
Bishop described two parts of the program: an on‑scene response where a clinician works alongside an officer when the scene is safe, and a follow‑up process in which clinicians check on residents after an incident to make sure they have ongoing support. He said those follow‑ups, and the clinician presence, have helped reduce repeat responses to the same addresses.
"Historically, officers were being dispatched to the same residence on multiple occasions. We found that after the commencement of the ARRIVE program, we've seen a lot less of this," Bishop said, adding that ARRIVE‑type calls in Madison decreased about 30% from 2023 to 2024. He told the council Madison responded to roughly 100 ARRIVE‑type calls in 2024 and reported zero use‑of‑force incidents on those calls; across the four participating towns there was one use‑of‑force incident.
Bishop said the department is investing in training to support the program: "Three quarters of our department will be fully trained by the end of 2025, and in 2026 our entire department will be trained," he said, referring to crisis‑intervention training for officers.
The mayor and councilmembers praised the program as improving safety for both residents and first responders. The mayor recounted a constituent concern that an unprepared responder could make a crisis worse and called ARRIVE"a strong program for everyone involved." Councilmembers emphasized the importance of the clinician follow‑up, which Bishop credited with helping reduce repeat calls.
The presentation described operational details: two MHA clinicians rotate coverage for the cluster of participating towns (the "M towns"), with one clinician on 7 a.m.–3 p.m. and another on 3 p.m.–11 p.m.; clinicians work from a workstation inside Madison Police headquarters and perform both initial responses and subsequent follow‑up contacts.
The meeting contained no formal council vote on ARRIVE; Chief Bishop presented annually reported metrics and implementation status and thanked the governing body and borough administration for support. The council did not take new formal action during the meeting but expressed support for continued training and participation.
The council discussion included expressions of gratitude from the mayor and members, and a recognition that the program was advanced in partnership with the county prosecutor's office and MHA clinicians.
Looking ahead, Bishop said the department will continue to compile data and pursue full department CIT (crisis intervention team) training, and he urged continued support for the program's follow‑up work.
