Bismarck leaders propose 24/7 triage center as homelessness and safety concerns rise
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Summary
Bismarck public‑health and police officials described increases in unsheltered homelessness, rising safety incidents and a plan for a 24/7 community triage center combining low‑barrier shelter, crisis stabilization, peer supports and housing navigation.
Bismarck‑area officials outlined a regional model to triage people in crisis and reduce reliance on emergency rooms and law enforcement.
Renee Mok of Bismarck‑Burleigh Public Health said recent point‑in‑time counts and on‑the‑ground outreach show rising numbers of unsheltered people and acute needs linked to behavioral health and reentry from incarceration. Mok described a steering committee and technical assistance from Health Management Associates developing a single‑door community triage center with low‑barrier shelter beds, on‑site peer support, connections to detox and treatment, and housing navigation.
Chief Jason Stugelmeyer of the Bismarck Police Department described the operational strain on patrols and the public safety impacts from a subset of the unhoused population involved in violent incidents and open‑air drug use. “We have a segment... that wants to be homeless” and causes community harms, he said, while also noting many in the population do want help and services. Both public‑health and law‑enforcement witnesses called for secure 24/7 staffing and regional collaboration so Bismarck can respond to people arriving from other communities.
City officials expect a January report and recommended the Legislature and interagency council consider funding regional pilot sites to replicate the model elsewhere.