Will an alternative to police thrive in Berkeley?
Over 50 years ago in Eugene, Ore., ordinary people — including some medical workers — volunteered to serve community members in crisis who felt alienated from the mainstream system. They called the program Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS). What began as a grassroots experiment evolved over time to become a key agency in Eugene’s continuum of care. CAHOOTS has become a model that cities all over the country have used to create their own programs, which are alternatives to police responding to non-criminal crises.
In 2013, Kayla Moore died after Berkley Police Department (BPD) officers forced themselves into her downtown Berkeley apartment and held her down while trying to handcuff her. The police were called by her roommate for a mental health check. Since Kayla Moore’s tragic death, many in our community have urged our city leaders to implement a program like CAHOOTS in Berkeley.
Over three years ago, after George Floyd’s murder, the Berkeley City Council made sweeping commitments to reimagine public safety to something less racist and more caring. Creating a Specialized Care Unit (SCU) was one of the promises made and one of the few that actually might be fulfilled.
This long-awaited alternative to police responding to mental health and substance use crises made its debut on Tuesday, Sept. 5. Note that, from its inception, CAHOOTS has responded to all variety of non-criminal crises (i.e., noise, disturbance, dispute facilitation, etc.), not just mental health and substance use.
Berkeley is definitely late to the party, as neighboring jurisdictions have had this type of program for years: San Francisco launched its Streets Crisis Response Team (SCRT) in 2020 and Oakland launched Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland (MACRO) in 2022. This allows us to benefit from their mistakes.
For instance, MACRO’s services are accessed via 911; however, Oakland Police Department dispatch rarely redirects calls to MACRO, as they receive an average of six calls a day. Instead of being emergency responders, MACRO teams roam the streets of Oakland and approach people who look like they might need assistance.
In fact, what MACRO has become is antithetical to the goals of the program, which were to reduce responses by emergency services (fire and police) and to decrease negative outcomes from police response to nonviolent 911 emergency calls.
The good news is that SCU has its own phone number; no need to call 911 and rely on BPD dispatch to redirect your call. The direct line to SCU is (510) 948–0075. Put it on your fridge and in your phone! The bad news is there are still unresolved issues that could undermine community trust and result in a failed SCU.
The community expects SCU to be a non-police response. To have credibility, SCU must maintain its sovereignty from the police, though it’s not clear how this will be accomplished.
Matthai Chakko, the city’s communications director, says, “There may be…very rare instances where the client/community is in significant danger (health or safety) and a more appropriate responder (fire or police) needs to be called to address the situation. We hope and believe that this will be extremely rare.”
This means that a resident calls the dedicated SCU line requesting and expecting a non-police response, but the police could show up. Katherine Hawn, one of the city staff overseeing the SCU roll out, says they are still working out the standards and protocols for SCU responders and what might be deemed “too dangerous.” BPD has been involved in the discussions to determine these standards and protocols.
This is ironic because BPD doesn’t have guidelines to determine what’s “too dangerous.” With every crisis intervention, there’s unpredictability and the necessity to respond in the moment. Police officers arrive on a scene and decide if it’s safe to proceed or if they should call for backup.
SCU first responders have the experience and training in mental health and substance use crisis response; thus, they must be given the authority to make these tough calls. This is how CAHOOTS has always operated. This will save lives, save money and ensure a successful SCU.
Based on the city auditor’s report, Data Analysis of the City of Berkeley’s Police Response, only 30 percent of the situations BPD responded to involved a crime. SCU will initially respond to only mental health and substance use crises; however, there’s ample room for expansion.
Having SCU experts respond to non-criminal crises would allow police officers to focus on preventing and solving crime. One would think BPD would welcome SCU because they continue to claim an increase in crime and an “insufficient” number of armed officers. Unfortunately, BPD continues to impede civilian efforts that are alternatives to police.
We must help SCU become a thriving resource in our community. If you witness someone in crisis due to mental health challenges or substance use, call (510) 948–0075. The goal of SCU is to be a 24/7/365 service to our community. The program will be rolled out in stages. Starting Sept. 11, SCU will be available every day from 6 a.m. to 4p.m. SCU is still hiring! www.bonitahouse.org/careers
This article first published in the Berkeley Times on September 7, 2023.
