Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Marion County accepts $550,000 DOJ grant to restore a law‑enforcement behavioral‑health response team
Summary
The county accepted a three‑year, $550,000 Department of Justice grant to restore one co‑responder law‑enforcement/behavioral‑health team; staff said hiring is underway and the team will operate limited shifts while the county tracks data and seeks longer‑term funding.
Marion County accepted $550,000 in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Justice to support a law‑enforcement behavioral‑health response program intended to restore one co‑responder team that pairs a sheriff’s deputy with a qualified mental‑health professional.
Ryan (last name not stated in the transcript) described a previous county model that had four mobile crisis co‑responder teams that were curtailed after federal funding changes. He said the DOJ grant will fund a single restored team and emphasized the county’s intent to collect data and compare models. “We did receive, approval of this grant,” Ryan said, adding that the county expects to recruit and hire a mental‑health professional and that the sheriff’s office has identified a deputy candidate.
Staff described the team’s anticipated schedule as a single shift model (likely four days per week, 10‑hour shifts) and said they will coordinate dispatch and partner agencies to define when to deploy the unit. Commissioners praised staff and grant writers for winning a competitive national award; staff said the county will report outcomes as part of federal grant requirements and use local data to pursue additional funding if needed.
The board approved acceptance of the incoming funds by voice vote. Staff said deployment could begin after the holidays, contingent on hiring and training.
