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Monrovia’s SGB care team reports hundreds of contacts, wins county award for community policing
Summary
Police and community-policing staff reported that Monrovia’s SGB care program has engaged roughly 367 unique individuals, performed nearly 400 follow-ups and delivered 174 resource referrals in about 18 months; the team will receive a Los Angeles County Peace Officers Association Centurion Award for team excellence in community policing.
The Monrovia City Council on Sept. 16 received an update on the San Gabriel Valley SGB Care program, a multidisciplinary alternative‑response initiative that pairs community policing officers with social‑service professionals to respond to nonviolent mental‑health, behavioral‑health and substance‑use crises.
Program overview and outcome metrics: Police Captain John Doncic told the council that SGB Care — the San Gabriel Valley "Suicide Assistance Response and Engagement" program operated regionally through the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (COG) — launched preliminarily in 2022 and became fully operational in February 2024. The Monrovia team operates out of the Community Policing Bureau and includes a community policing sergeant, a school resource officer, a substance‑use counselor, and other multidisciplinary staff. Captain Doncic reported that, over roughly 18 months, the team encountered about 367 unique individuals, carried out nearly 400 follow‑up contacts, and provided 174 resource referrals such as housing assistance, mental‑health services and basic‑needs support.
Award and recognition: Council heard that the SGB Care community‑policing team will receive the Los Angeles County Peace Officers Association Centurion Award for team excellence in community policing; the award will be presented the following month at USC. Councilmembers and the mayor praised the team’s work and discussed the program’s regional funding and continuation.
Funding and operations: Staff said the program currently operates Monday through Thursday and that funding is committed for at least three more years through the COG. The team coordinates with County Department of Mental Health staff (who operate on Fridays in Monrovia) and the COG has discussed launching additional teams in neighboring cities. Councilmembers expressed interest in expanding hours and potential shared‑team approaches across neighboring jurisdictions.
Anecdotes and community impact: Captain Doncic and his staff shared case anecdotes showing repeat engagement and long‑term follow‑up, including one example in which the team helped a teenager maintain the path to high‑school graduation through sustained engagement and referrals. Councilmembers and attendees praised the team’s individualized, asset‑based approach and noted that the program’s community impact often does not make headlines but can be life‑saving.
Ending: Staff will share award details and continue to coordinate with the COG about funding and potential program expansion; council thanked the team for their work.
