Nine Washington communities, including several city police departments, have been awarded grants to expand behavioral health field response capabilities for law enforcement. The funds were awarded by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) as part of a program established by the Washington State Legislature. The funds will help law enforcement agencies establish and expand the utilization of behavioral health professionals to humanely, skillfully, and safely respond to law enforcement encounters involving persons with mental health issues.
The grants were awarded to the following agencies:
- Kirkland, Shoreline, Bothell, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore Police Departments (joint proposal)
- Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office (joint proposal)
- Wenatchee & East Wenatchee Police Departments and Chelan & Douglas County Sheriff’s Offices (joint proposal)
- Olympia Police Department
- Port Angeles Police Department
- Redmond Police Department
- Vancouver Police Department
- Pierce County
- Kitsap County
Congratulations to all the Washington cities that were awarded grant funding! AWC will continue to advocate for additional resources to support this critical program.