Initiative May Lower Number Of Police Use-Of-Force Incidents In NJ

NEW JERSEY — A state-developed initiative called Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence and Escalation did well enough in a pilot run that it will be expanded to another part of the state, according to the New Jersey Attorney General's Office.

The initiative, Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence and Escalation (ARRIVE), teams a plainclothes law enforcement officer with a certified mental health screener when a 911 call indicates a behavioral health crisis is happening.

Many law enforcement officers have to juggle multiple professional responsibilities when they arrive at the scene of a behavioral health crisis, whether or not they were trained in all those responsibilities, New Jersey Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in a June 6 news conference that announced ARRIVE's expansion.

This reality helped spur the creation of ARRIVE, he said.

"The women and men who, everyday, are out doing the hard work in law enforcement are not just law enforcement officers anymore," Platkin said. "We ask them to be mental health professionals and behavioral health counselors and addiction specialists. And it is not realistic to ask one person to be all those things."

With ARRIVE, the responding police officer can police the scene and enforce the law during an incident, while the certified mental health screener can assess the incident participants' behavioral health needs, Platkin said.

Data from ARRIVE's pilot phase earlier this year indicate there was never an instance in which physical force was used, according to Platkin.

"We know that a significant proportion of incidents that involve the use of force, including incidents that involve the use of deadly force, involve a mental health or emotional illness of mental health or emotional distress," he said.

ARRIVE reduces the likelihood an incident "escalates to violence and it increases the likelihood the civilian gets the help they need," Platkin said.

With the success of ARRIVE established in largely-rural Cumberland County among New Jersey State Police Troopers, the state will now test ARRIVE in the more-urban Union County among local police officers, according to Platkin.

Pamela B. Jones, CEO of Communities In Cooperation, said at the June 6 news conference that ARRIVE provides a "win-win situation for all" and multiple downstream benefits to those who are directly and indirectly involved with an incident that warrants its use.

"There will be better quality of life as a result. There will be many more early interventions that will be made to health treatments that are needed to reduce criminal justice costs resulting from recidivism, congested court dockets, jail occupancy and civil liability," she continued.

"It will reduce costs, reduce burdens on any one entity, provide more effective support for individuals with mental health illnesses and keep them out of the revolving doors of incarceration. It increases communication that is so needed, and allows for the betterment of information sharing. It provides emergency and situational preparedness."

Jim McCreath, the vice president of behavioral health at Trinitas Regional Medical Center — which has a presence in Union County — felt positive the mechanisms are in place for ARRIVE to work within the Trinitas Health Network.

"Trinitas has been providing psychiatric crisis services for decades," he said at the June 6 news conference. "We're confident that ARRIVE will result in faster, safer and more efficient community crisis responses."

The ultimate goal is to take ARRIVE statewide, according to Platkin.

However, he would not provide a specific date that might happen, citing a need to move slowly with a new initiative.

"If it works, we'll look to expand elsewhere," he said.

Got a news tip? Story idea? Send me an email with the details at [email protected].