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Belton police outline mental‑health co‑responder work, challenges reaching unhoused residents
Summary
Police Chief Scott Lyons described the department’s use of a mental‑health co‑responder, common living patterns of unhoused residents, barriers to sustained engagement and local gaps in transitional housing and treatment capacity.
Chief Scott Lyons told the Belton City Council the police department routinely encounters people experiencing homelessness during calls for service tied to victimization, suspected crimes, panhandling, medical concerns or welfare checks, and the department frequently uses a mental‑health co‑responder to assess needs and connect people to services.
Lyons described a range of living patterns — sofa‑surfing, temporary hotel stays, camps, vehicles and caravans — and said staff estimate a majority of those encountered have underlying mental‑health or…
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