Albuquerque, NM

Albuquerque Community Safety Department – Albuquerque, NM

OCTOBER 23, 2024

In June 2020, the city of Albuquerque approved the creation of the Albuquerque Community Safety Department (ACS), adding it to the existing first responder system wherein calls are dispatched through 911. The program launched on September 8, 2021, with three teams of responders operating throughout the city.

Beginning as a community-led initiative, ACS is now a 24/7, cabinet-level department that provides crisis intervention, welfare checks, and referrals to treatment and/or social services and resources. ACS responders directly transport people in crisis to providers of mental health, addiction, shelter, and case management services. After 2 years of operation, ACS has grown in capacity and adjusted programmatically to meet community needs. More specifically, ACS absorbed the existing Violence Intervention Program in 2022 and expanded the department to include prevention and intervention work.

The following information outlines ACS’s efforts since it began; it follows the sections of the toolkit. Readers can connect to other parts of the toolkit by clicking the headers for more details.

Photo credit: Adria Malcolm

 

Community Engagement and Collaboration

• Albuquerque city officials engaged extensively with local communities to better understand their needs as they were developing ACS. The January 2021 Community Engagement Report summarized the results of that engagement.
  • One way city officials sought feedback was through the ACS Community Input Survey sent to community members. Officials received 2,858 responses and more than 1,000 public comments that ultimately informed the Community Engagement Report.
  • In 2020, ACS leaders also hosted 7 virtual engagement events composed of more than 25 community stakeholder groups.
• The city additionally established the ACS Planning Committee for initial planning and decision-making. After operating for about one year, the committee, which included key community leaders and experts, transitioned into the ACS Steering Committee to provide long-term guidance. The Planning Committee heavily featured city officials to provide guidance on ACS’s administrative development and integration into the public safety system. The Steering Committee relies more on community leaders to provide guidance on vision, community needs, and accountability.
• More information on ACS’s community engagement process can be found by watching a recording of a conference session titled “Building and Engaging Community Power: The Importance of Community Engagement.” This session was part of a national Taking the Call Conference exploring innovative community responder models.

Needs Assessment

• To understand the needs of Albuquerque communities, ACS officials partnered with local stakeholders and other organizations to host lectures, listening sessions, and panel discussions. They also invited community members most affected by current first responder systems to participate in this discussion.
• ACS met with a wide variety of community stakeholders listed below to determine which services were already being provided in the community and which gaps it could successfully fill:
  • Community Policing Councils
  • Mental health organizations (i.e., the Mental Health Response Advisory Committee, Behavioral Health Provider Association, and Black Mental Health Coalition)
  • Homeless groups, including the Homeless Advisory Council
  • Youth advocates, including Kids’ Cabinet
  • City boards and commissions (i.e., Albuquerque Human Rights Board, American Indian and Native Affairs Commission, and the Albuquerque Domestic Violence Task Force)
  • Health care organizations (i.e., EMS Medical Control Board and the University of New Mexico’s Health Sciences Center)
• On a tactical level, ACS officials worked with police and fire departments to identify which call types would be appropriate for diversion, analyze call data to anticipate staffing needs, and strategize safety protocols.
  • While ACS enjoyed broad support from police and fire department leadership, this tactical analysis still required extensive conversation and negotiation, using community input to support programmatic choices.

Call Triaging

• As a part of the Albuquerque first responder system, ACS receives and triages calls primarily through 911. Additionally, ACS responds to calls from the non-emergency 311 line, accepts direct referrals, and encourages responders to proactively self-initiate interactions that responders believe are appropriate while on duty.
  • ACS is not dispatched by 988. When 988 determines an emergency response is required, they transfer the call to 911 where call takers use standard procedures to determine the appropriate response.
• Albuquerque 911 operators use a 1–5 scale system for prioritizing calls, with Priority 1 calls having the highest urgency. Calls for service qualified for ACS receive a specific ACS call type and priority level.
• ACS responders address mid- to low-acuity calls within the 2–5 categorization related to mental health, substance use, inebriation, public disturbances, welfare checks, suicide, and homelessness when there is low threat to responder safety.
• As of August 2023, ACS provides 24/7 coverage in the field.

Program Staffing

• The director of community safety, like the police and fire chiefs, reports directly to the city’s chief administrative officer. ACS has three divisions: Field Response, Violence Prevention & Intervention, and Administrative.
• The Mental & Behavioral Health Response Division consists of the following:
  • Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) Clinicians (4 positions): As independently licensed clinicians, co-respond with an Albuquerque Police Department (APD) officer to high-acuity mental health calls.
  • Behavioral Health Responders (42 positions): Address mid- to low-acuity behavioral health calls. Respond in teams of two.
  • Community Responders (13 positions): Address lower-acuity, nonviolent calls for service. Respond in teams of two.
  • Behavioral Health Responder Supervisors (10 positions): Coordinate and supervise Behavioral Health and Community Responder units.
  • Street Outreach Responders (8 positions): Perform targeted street outreach to encampments and people experiencing homelessness.
  • Triage Specialists (6 positions): Embedded in 911 dispatch to advise call takers and dispatchers on diverting calls to ACS. Additionally, coordinate non-911 referrals to ACS.
• The Violence Prevention & Intervention Division consists of the following:
  • Violence Intervention Program (2 positions and 10 contractors): Works with police to break cycles of violence in the community.
  • School-Based Violence Intervention Program (1 coordinator and 5 specialists): Interrupts violence among youth by setting students on a pathway to success.
  • Community-Oriented Response Assistance (CORA) Responders (1 supervisor and 6 positions): Work with individuals, families, and communities to heal and move forward after traumatic events including shootings, deaths, and domestic violence.
  • Opioid Education and Prevention Program (1 contractor): Interrupts cycles of addiction by providing education and resources to individuals and families after an overdose.
• The Administrative Division, which holds all administrative and support staff, has 21 positions. The department is responsible for its own fiscal, HR, communications, analytics, and other administrative functions.

Use of Data to Inform Decision Making

• Based on community feedback, ACS does not make personal information collected by responders accessible to law enforcement. While ACS uses the same records management system as APD for data security and call tracking, APD cannot access their data.
• ACS provides monthly reports with an overview of response activity. It also releases annual performance measures in the city’s budget document. Metrics reported monthly or annually include the following:
  • Number of responses
  • Number of referrals by source
  • Number of calls by call type
  • Average response times
  • Number of transports
  • Response outcome by category (e.g., met basic need, crisis intervention, connection to care)
  • Number of repeated calls for the same location
  • Percentage of calls involving co-response with law enforcement
  • Percentage of calls involving a person experiencing homelessness
  • Number of calls involving a life-saving technique by an ACS responder (e.g., Narcan or CPR)

Safety and Wellness

• Responders are only dispatched if the call indicates no immediate threat or danger, and they are instructed to leave a scene if an individual shows aggression or resistance. APD officers can also request ACS responders after they have secured the scene.
• Responders always take calls in pairs. If, upon arrival at the scene, they determine the situation is higher acuity than originally qualified, they can request MCT clinicians who will co-respond with a uniformed Crisis Intervention Unit police officer.
• ACS provides de-escalation training to all responders, as well as partners with APD and Albuquerque Fire Rescue to provide trainings on scene safety, situational awareness, lifesaving techniques, and other basic first responder safety tactics.
• Constant communication is a safety priority with responders. ACS responders use the same radio dispatch system as other first responders. This allows them to request backup or use the emergency button to request rapid police response if they are unable to talk.
• ACS responders are issued cell phones, which have an application that allows supervisory staff to track responders’ exact location when on duty.
• Field staff hold daily briefings to provide updates, request help for navigating challenges or issues that responders are facing, and voice responder concerns.

Financial Sustainability

• In fiscal year 2021, Albuquerque launched ACS using $1.2 million from the city’s unreserved general fund balance, along with an additional $1.2 million in existing city personnel from the APD and the Family and Community Services Department.
• ACS has steadily grown to meet community demand. As of FY24, ACS has a $17 million budget. This increase is also due to the department absorbing the Violence Intervention Program, which previously was split between the APD and the Family and Community Services Department.
• The city allocated $11.6 million to build headquarters for ACS in the International District, one of Albuquerque’s cultural centers and communities of highest need. Funding primarily came from General Obligation Bond Funds. This facility is set to open in spring 2024.
• While ACS relies mostly on general funds, it also continuously seeks other funding opportunities, especially for non-recurring campaigns and capital investments. ACS has received grants from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Justice, which have supported both field response and violence prevention operations

Legislative Strategies

• The primary legislative strategy in Albuquerque was to lobby the city council to approve the creation of a new cabinet-level department that would receive dedicated general funds. The goal of this approach is to ensure a minimum level of security and permanency for the program.
• The Violence Intervention Program has cultivated strong relationships with partners, including the District Attorney’s Office, to influence how gun violence is addressed in the community. Staff members have also provided expert testimony, often related to their lived experience, at the New Mexico State Legislature regarding bills related to gun violence.