PEORIA, Ill. – Peoria Police and other law enforcement agencies in Illinois can now implement a new law spearheaded by one local lawmaker that will allow mental health workers to respond to certain types of police calls.
They would be “co-responders” under the law crafted by State Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth.
“Many of those crises that are responded to don’t necessarily need a police officer,” said Booth (D-Peoria), at a news conference Friday at Peoria Police headquarters. “We actually want police officers solving crime. We want them keeping our communities safe, and that’s what they do.”
Carle Health, through its Trillium Place mental health care arm will help Peoria Police implement the model, and Peoria Police are currently hiring someone who will help.
Will having mental health professionals on duty help reduce the burden on police? Yes, and no, says Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria.
“We keep using the police to do jobs the police shouldn’t be doing,” said Echevarria. “This is where you’ve seen nationally – think back in the last few years – some of the issues that we’ve seen in policing. It’s happened because we’re using police for things that police shouldn’t be used for. But, we don’t have the luxury to say no (when 911 is called).”
Peoria and several other cities in Illinois are a part of the pilot program funded with $3 million in the state budget. Gov. JB Pritzker signed the measure into law last year.
“We are going to set the standard for what policing should look like in the future, and in the present,” said Echevarria.
