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Topeka Police detail expanded mobile crisis partnership with Astra Mental Health, propose radio link and diversion strategy
Summary
Chief Ajo and Assistant Chief Jennifer Cross described a triage model and direct‑radio connection with Astra Mental Health to divert low‑level mental‑health calls away from uniformed response, citing a 209% increase in mobile crisis calls this year and plans for joint training and casework with community partners.
Topeka Police Department leaders told the governing body on June 2 that the department is formalizing a deeper collaboration with Astra Mental Health to expand mobile crisis response and divert appropriate calls from uniformed officers.
Chief Ajo said the department has worked for 10–11 months to design alternatives to traditional officer response for behavioral health calls and introduced a red/yellow/green triage model: green calls handled by mental‑health professionals without law enforcement present; yellow calls (warm) handled by co‑response units; and red calls handled by police when there is an immediate safety concern. Assistant Chief Jennifer Cross said the city re‑drafted a memorandum of understanding with Astra to provide direct radio communications between 911 dispatch, mobile crisis teams and police supervisors so trained crisis responders can deploy without automatically sending a uniformed officer to every call.
Cross said mobile crisis response calls have grown about 209% this year as the program has diverted some calls from law enforcement and increased public education and referrals. The police and Astra teams plan joint training, public outreach, a trifold resource handout for officers and the public, and tabletop exercises with partners including veteran services, substance‑use providers and Mir, Inc., to improve handoffs and identify follow‑up resources.
Council members asked about 911‑era triage (dispatch is the county function), the potential to place a mental‑health professional inside the dispatch center, whether the plan covers children, and how follow‑up services will be handled. Cross said dispatchers have not expressed comfort doing clinical triage and that the radio model is an immediate operational fix; the department is exploring a longer‑term triage clinician inside dispatch. Cross said mobile crisis can respond to any age, and that a range of follow‑up options — safety plans, treatment handoffs to Mir or walk‑in connections — will be used depending on needs.
Several council members urged further steps to reduce law‑enforcement involvement in noncriminal crises and requested updates on program metrics and community outreach as the collaboration moves from planning to active deployment.
