Durham HEART program reports strong safety record and commissioners consider countywide expansion
City HEART staff told commissioners the unarmed crisis‑response program has answered over 14,000 calls with rare emergent police backup and lower arrest rates; county leaders requested data and an RFQ to evaluate how HEART could be dispatched countywide through Durham 911.
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Ryan Smith, director of the City of Durham Community Safety Department, updated the Durham County Board on HEART, the city's alternative crisis‑response program, and described four program elements: crisis‑call diversion in the 911 center, community response teams, co‑response with police for higher‑risk calls, and post‑response care navigation.
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