What Is This?

A 911 dispatcher in Albuquerque pulls up a call: an intoxicated man slumped outside a gas station, unresponsive to passersby. Three years ago, that call went to police. Two officers would arrive, lights flashing, hands near holsters, and try to rouse a man who needed water and a ride, not a badge and a command voice. Now the dispatcher routes it to the city’s Community Safety Department.¹ A trained community responder arrives in a branded vehicle, no weapon, no arrest authority. The responder sits with the man, checks for medical distress, connects him to a sobering center or shelter. No force. No arrest. No emergency room.

That shift, replicated across more than 120,000 calls in Albuquerque alone,² is what a Community Safety Department does. The distinction from other crisis response programs is organizational: a CSD is not a program. It is a department.

A Department, Not a Program

Civilian crisis response programs now operate across the country. Denver sends civilian crisis teams to mental health calls.³ San Diego County fields 44 civilian crisis units across the region.²² Portland dispatches Portland’s crisis response department to behavioral health emergencies.⁴ These are programs, each with a specific scope, each housed inside an existing department (public health, fire, or police) or run by a nonprofit contractor.

A Community Safety Department is structurally different. It is a cabinet-level city agency, co-equal with police and fire, with its own director, its own budget line, its own training academy, its own headquarters, its own HR pipeline, and direct accountability to the mayor and city council. Where a program is one team doing one thing, a department houses multiple teams doing multiple things under a single chain of command.

Albuquerque’s Community Safety Department (formally, Albuquerque Community Safety, or ACS) illustrates the difference. The department, now led by Director Jodie Esquibel,⁵ operates civilian crisis response, violence intervention, street outreach for people experiencing homelessness, and needle pickup services.¹ Founding director Mariela Ruiz-Angel was promoted to Associate Chief Administrative Officer, overseeing ACS, the Office of Emergency Management, the Office of Equity and Inclusion, and Health, Housing, and Homelessness.⁵ The department employs 140 staff.² It runs a training academy, now partnered with Central New Mexico Community College, that produces cohorts of new responders.⁶ It occupies a dedicated 10,800-square-foot headquarters deliberately located in a neighborhood with high concentrations of addiction and behavioral health needs.⁷ Mayor Tim Keller called the building a “massive symbol that we are never going to give up on anywhere in our city.”⁷

Durham, North Carolina, built its Community Safety Department with four functional areas: field teams for non-violent behavioral health calls, a unit for calls involving weapons or threats, a dispatch division with staff embedded in the 911 center, and a follow-up case management division.⁸ In July 2025, the department reorganized these into two direct-service divisions: 911 Crisis Response Teams and Stabilization Services.⁸ All staff are full-time city employees with benefits, including enrollment in the North Carolina State Retirement System.⁸ The department reports directly to the city manager, co-equal with police, fire, and EMS.⁸ Director Ryan Smith described the original four functional areas as “pieces of a larger idea.”⁹

Portland formalized Portland’s crisis response department as “an equal branch of the city’s public safety system” through a June 25, 2025 City Council resolution, with plans to expand toward 24/7 service citywide and a directive to explore granting staff full designation as first responders with associated employment benefits.¹⁰ As of early 2026, the department operates 6 AM to midnight daily.²³ Seattle invested $26.5 million to establish its Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department, modeled after Albuquerque, with three divisions: emergency call takers in the 911 center, behavioral health field responders, and violence intervention specialists.¹¹ Fayetteville, North Carolina, launched its Office of Community Safety in summer 2025 with four core teams: community violence prevention, homelessness response, mental health response, and youth initiatives.¹² Cambridge, Massachusetts, stood up a Community Safety Department that has handled hundreds of 911 mental health calls formerly routed to police.²¹

What Happens on the Ground

Durham Director Ryan Smith calls the operational philosophy “drawing near.”⁹ Where police response is built around rapid clearance — resolve the call, get back in service — CSD responders spend extended time with a person. Smith described what the department looks for: “What many, maybe all of us, have experienced in life is, we’re walking downtown, we see someone in crisis and the instinct is to go to the other side of the street, stay away. What we’re looking for are people who will draw near to people at that moment of crisis, that sense of physical proximity, of not othering or judging or being afraid.”⁹

Durham deliberately calls the people it serves “neighbors” rather than “clients” or “consumers.”⁸

In the field, department responders carry no weapons and have no arrest powers.¹ The calls they handle include mental health crises, substance use emergencies, welfare checks, public intoxication, trespassing, non-injury traffic accidents, abandoned vehicles, needle pickups, and neighbor disputes. Durham’s dispatch protocol draws the line clearly: “Suicide threats, welfare checks, public intoxication, behavioral health problems, and trespassing, yes. Anything with a weapon or threat of violence, no.”⁸

In Albuquerque, Division Manager Joshua Reeves described a call in which a man threatened to jump from a bridge. Reeves and his team talked the man down over an extended encounter. “Officers now are learning to defer to us,” Reeves said, “as sort of the people who might de-escalate.”¹³

The safety record across these departments is consistent. Albuquerque’s program data shows police backup was needed in fewer than 1% of more than 120,000 calls.² Durham’s responders reported feeling safe after 99% of their encounters and have never needed police backup for a safety threat.¹⁴ These are program-reported figures, not independently verified.

What a CSD Is Not

Five distinctions matter for anyone evaluating this model:

Not “defund the police.” CSDs operate alongside police departments, not instead of them. In Albuquerque, the police budget is more than twenty times larger than the CSD budget.¹⁵ Polling conducted among 2,400 registered voters found that 89% agree these departments “allow police departments to focus on solving serious crimes.”¹⁶ The argument that drew the broadest agreement in polling:¹⁶ “Community safety departments are about sending the right responder to address every problem. When the call is for a robbery in progress, we should send the police. When the call is for a mental health crisis, we should send trained mental health professionals.” That language drew 82% agreement in national polling.¹⁶

Not co-response. Co-response programs pair a clinician with a police officer. CSD responders arrive independently, without armed accompaniment, as the primary and often only responders to their designated call types. These are structurally opposite models: co-response keeps police as the primary responder with clinical support; a CSD removes police from the encounter entirely.

Not privatization. Polling shows 68% of voters want CSD staff to be city employees, not private contractors.¹⁶ Durham’s model reflects this preference: Department staffers work for the city rather than a private contractor, “so they can’t refuse calls that fall within the program’s criteria.”⁸ Polling also found that 80% of voters agree there is “more accountability and transparency when the city hires and manages community safety departments staff directly.”¹⁶

Not traditional social services. Social service agencies provide ongoing case management from offices. CSDs deploy field teams that respond to live situations. The responders are dispatched through 911. They go to the person, in the moment, wherever the person is.

Not any single program type. A city can run a mobile crisis team without building a department. Many do. Denver’s crisis team lives in the Department of Public Health and Environment.³ Harris County’s program lives in county public health.¹⁷ A CSD creates a purpose-built department rather than tucking a team inside an existing agency. Polling shows voters prefer the unified model over separate programs.¹⁶

The Scale Reality

Established departments remain small relative to the systems they complement. Albuquerque’s CSD, described by The New Yorker as the nation’s first, handles roughly 3% of the city’s million-plus annual calls.¹⁵ The department has operated 24/7 since September 2023, but capacity still falls short of demand. Former director Ruiz-Angel described the demand pressure before the 24/7 expansion: “We have calls pending when we get to the office at 7am and we have calls that we have to unfortunately sometimes kick back to the police department at 8pm.”¹⁵ Even after achieving round-the-clock coverage with 140 staff, the department’s 3,000 calls per month represent a fraction of eligible volume.²

Durham has expanded to handle more than 32,000 calls and saved officers more than 10,000 hours.¹⁸ But even after a $2 million expansion adding 17 positions for citywide 12-hour daily coverage and a target of 13,900 calls annually, that represents roughly 10% of the city’s 911 volume.⁹

The calls these departments handle are calls that do not require an armed officer.

Where This Stands

As of mid-2025, approximately five cities have established standalone community safety departments or their close equivalents: Albuquerque, Durham, Portland, Seattle, and Cambridge. Fayetteville and a handful of additional cities have launched or announced similar offices.

The implementation gap is stark: national polling shows 75-82% public support for the concept,¹⁶ but fewer than a half-dozen cities have actually built departments.

Law enforcement leaders in cities with established departments have publicly endorsed the model. Albuquerque then-Police Chief Harold Medina described ACS as a department that “is already helping to free up our officers.”¹⁹ Commander Jeff Barnard went further, publicly calling for the department to receive additional funding and resources.¹⁹ Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews (retiring May 2026) acknowledged the rocky start: “There was this cloud that hung over the Community Safety Department” from the political fights accompanying its creation, and “many patrol officers were initially skeptical, believing they’d have to constantly rescue amateurs.”¹⁴ Now, she said, “I’ve heard officers on the radio asking for the department’s teams. So there is that change.”¹⁴ Minneapolis Deputy Chief Erick Fors said “Feedback from the rank and file has been very positive.”²⁰

Then-Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz: “This could be a model for the country.”¹¹

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The Bottom Line

A Community Safety Department is a city agency, co-equal with police and fire, that deploys trained civilian responders to 911 calls that do not require weapons, arrest authority, or emergency medical transport. It is not a program, not an alternative to policing, and not a philosophical statement. It is an organizational structure that houses multiple response capabilities under one institutional roof. Approximately five cities have built one. Albuquerque has fielded more than 120,000 calls with police backup needed less than 1% of the time.² The evidence base is almost entirely reported by the programs themselves, not independently verified; no independent randomized evaluation of the CSD model as an institutional form has been published. Polling shows 75-82% public support across partisan lines.¹⁶ Actual implementation remains rare.

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Source Appendix

1. City of Albuquerque, “Albuquerque Community Safety” official department page. https://www.cabq.gov/acs

2. City of Albuquerque, “Albuquerque Community Safety Department Marks Four Years of Impact and Innovation,” press release, September 2025. 120,000+ calls, 85% diverted from APD/AFR, 140 staff, 24/7 since September 2023. https://www.cabq.gov/acs/news/albuquerque-community-safety-department-marks-four-years-of-impact-and-innovation

3. Thomas S. Dee and Jaymes Pyne, “A community response approach to mental health and substance abuse crises reduced crime,” Science Advances, Vol. 8, Issue 23 (June 8, 2022). Stanford evaluation of Denver STAR program. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9176742/

4. Portland State University Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative (Greg Townley, lead evaluator), Portland Street Response Year Two Evaluation, July 2023. https://www.pdx.edu/homelessness/sites/homelessness.web.wdt.pdx.edu/files/2023-07/HRAC%20Portland%20Street%20Response%20Year%20Two%20Evaluation%20Report_FINAL%20FOR%20WEBSITE.pdf

5. City of Albuquerque, “Albuquerque Community Safety Marks 100,000 Calls for Service Milestone,” press release, March 2025. Director Jodie Esquibel confirmed; Ruiz-Angel promotion context. https://www.cabq.gov/acs/news/albuquerque-community-safety-marks-100-000-calls-for-service-milestone

6. Central New Mexico Community College, “CNM and City of Albuquerque Launch Annual ACS Academy to Train Alternative First Responders,” October 2025. 140-hour core curriculum, CNM Ingenuity partnership. https://www.cnm.edu/news/cnm-and-city-of-albuquerque-launch-annual-acs-academy-to-train-alternative-first-responders

7. KRQE News 13, “Albuquerque Community Safety Dept. headquarters is now open,” June 2024. 10,800 sq ft, Keller “massive symbol” quote, International District location. https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/albuquerque-community-safety-department-headquarters-is-now-open/

8. CSG Justice Center, “Durham, NC — Expanding First Response Program Highlights,” updated December 2024. HEART four-division structure, full-time city employees, dispatch protocol, “neighbors” terminology. https://csgjusticecenter.org/publications/expanding-first-response/program-highlights/durham-nc/

9. Jeff Billman, “A New Model for Public Safety in Durham,” The Assembly NC, June 26, 2024. Ryan Smith “pieces of a larger idea” and “drawing near” quotes, expansion plans, staffing. https://www.theassemblync.com/politics/criminal-justice/durhams-new-model-for-public-safety/

10. Portland City Council Resolution No. 37709, “Support and expand Portland Street Response as a co-equal branch of the first responder system,” adopted June 25, 2025. Passed 10-2. https://www.portland.gov/council/documents/resolution/adopted/37709. KGW8 coverage: https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/city-council-passes-resolution-portland-street-response/283-ec59262b-7171-4d84-8f23-6c06e1903bb7

11. Office of Mayor Bruce Harrell, “Mayor Harrell Announces Investments Supporting Upcoming Launch of CARE,” September 21, 2023. $26.5M budget, three divisions, Diaz quote. https://harrell.seattle.gov/2023/09/21/mayor-harrell-announces-investments-supporting-upcoming-launch-of-care-seattles-new-public-safety-department/. Seattle Times: “partly modeled after the one in Albuquerque, N.M.” https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/harrell-boosts-budget-for-dual-dispatch-team-ahead-of-october-launch/

12. Evey Weisblat, “Fayetteville’s Office of Community Safety gets to work,” CityView NC, June 27, 2025. Director John Jones, four-pillar model. https://www.cityviewnc.com/stories/fayettevilles-office-of-community-safety-gets-to-work/

13. KOB4, Griffin Rushton reporting, Albuquerque. Joshua Reeves bridge intervention account. Broadcast segment; reporter bio: https://www.kob.com/news_team/griffin-rushton/

14. Tradeoffs / The Marshall Project, “How Durham Got Police Onboard with Unarmed Crisis Response,” May 2, 2025. Andrews quotes, 99% safety record, 25,000+ calls (as of mid-2025; later surpassed by 32,000+ per ICMA award, source 18), Sgt. Leeder conversion, officer support change. https://tradeoffs.org/2025/05/02/how-durham-north-carolina-got-police-onboard-with-unarmed-crisis-response/

15. Murat Oztaskin, “Sending Help Instead of the Police in Albuquerque,” The New Yorker, February 4, 2023. Police budget comparison, 3% of calls, Ruiz-Angel demand quotes, Keshawn Thomas incident. https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/sending-help-instead-of-the-police-in-albuquerque

16. Safer Cities, national survey of 2,400 registered voters. Figures include: 89% (police focus), 82% (right responder), 68% (city employees), 80% (accountability), 75-82% (overall support range).

17. FOX 26 Houston, “Harris County Mental Health Program faces uncertain future amid financial concerns,” May 23, 2024. HART under Harris County Public Health. https://www.fox26houston.com/news/harris-county-mental-health-program-faces-uncertain-future-amid-financial-concerns

18. City of Durham / ICMA, “City of Durham Wins ICMA 2025 Community Health & Safety Award,” 2025. 32,000+ calls, 10,000+ officer hours saved. Durham: https://www.durhamnc.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/3977. ICMA: https://icma.org/page/2025-community-health-safety-award-city-durham

19. CSG Justice Center, “Albuquerque, NM — Expanding First Response Program Highlights,” April 2025. Medina and Barnard context. https://csgjusticecenter.org/publications/expanding-first-response/program-highlights/albuquerque-nm/

20. Minneapolis Deputy Chief Erick Fors, testimony at Minneapolis Public Safety Committee meeting, April 20, 2022. Reported in Southwest Connector (now Southwest Voices), Jan Willms, June 21, 2022. https://swconnector.com/stories/alternative-to-police,6234. See also Minnesota Daily and Star Tribune coverage of the same meeting.

21. City of Cambridge, “Community Safety Department Publishes Inaugural Impact Report,” April 24, 2025. 200 emergency calls, 94% without police, 1,600 needles removed, 150+ community members served. https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/communitysafety/News/2025/04/communitysafetydepartmentpublishesinauguralimpactreport

22. San Diego County News Center, Cassie N. Saunders, “Mobile Crisis Response Program Celebrates Four Years,” January 22, 2025. 2 pilot teams to 44 teams. https://www.countynewscenter.com/mobile-crisis-response-program-celebrates-four-years/

23. Portland Street Response, “Portland Street Response adds new phone number, expands hours,” October 1, 2025. Expanded to 6 AM–midnight daily. https://www.portland.gov/streetresponse/news/2025/10/1/portland-street-response-adds-new-phone-number-expands-hours