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Durham HEART program reports strong safety record and commissioners consider countywide expansion
Summary
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.
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.
Smith said the teams have answered more than 14,000 calls since launch and reported a low emergent police backup rate (about 0.4%). “We have responded to over 14,000 calls,” Smith said, and noted external evaluations by RTI and a Duke‑based group are underway. He also said HEART's community response teams request police backup in far fewer than 1% of calls and the program is associated with lower arrest rates when a HEART clinician is on scene.
Commissioners probed how the county could adopt HEART citywide. Key operational challenges include differing 911 dispatch protocols—the Durham Emergency Communications Center (DECC) uses the EPD protocol that HEART's protocols currently interface with, while the Sheriff's Office uses a different dispatch system. Assistant County Manager Dwayne Brinson said staff are preparing an RFQ for a consultant to examine 911 center interoperation, dispatch protocols and other infrastructure changes needed for countywide rollout.
Several commissioners asked for a county‑specific pilot and call‑by‑call data comparing outcomes when HEART responded versus law enforcement only. Smith and county staff recommended dual paths: immediate interagency meetings with the Sheriff's Office and DECC while the RFQ commissions a technical assessment. The board asked staff to return with timelines and the RFQ scope so the governing body can consider next steps during fall updates to the budget and CIP.
