Title
Accept Byrne Discretionary Community Projects Grant
Action
Action:
A. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to accept a grant in the amount of $963,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice for the Community Assistance: Respond, Engage, and Support Team Program,
B. Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to negotiate and execute an interlocal agreement with Mecklenburg County through its Public Health Department to provide an alternative civilian response to calls for service related to homelessness and mental health, and
C. Adopt a budget ordinance appropriating $963,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance to the General Grants Fund.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Johnny Jennings, Police
Lucas Veith, Police
Morgan Parks, Police
Explanation
§ The Civilian Assistance: Response, Engage, Support (CARES) Team was born from recommendation four of the Safety and Accountability For Everyone Initiative (SAFE Charlotte).
§ The CARES Team is currently comprised of two civilians with either a clinical license or master’s degree in a behavioral health discipline that can be directly dispatched to low-level mental health and homelessness calls for service, a supervisor, and a program manager oversee the team’s daily operations.
§ The team operates weekdays from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s (CMPD) Central and Metro Divisions.
§ CARES was soft launched in December 2022, with a full pilot running March to August 2023.
§ CARES was assigned to 268 calls for service and assisted 163 distinct clients during this time.
§ The pilot evaluation revealed that officers wanted greater access to CARES and that there was a need for dedicated case management capacity to service frequently encountered clients.
§ The goal of this grant program is to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and assist victims of crime (other than compensation) in geographic areas designated in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024.
§ The U.S. Department of Justice Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grant funds will be used to hire:
- one Program Coordinator,
- one CARES Navigator,
- one CARES Supervisor, and
- four Clinicians to respond to calls for services related to mental health and homelessness.
§ The city will partner with Mecklenburg County to expand CARES’ hours of availability and geographic reach.
§ The grant is for a three-year term from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2027.
§ No matching contribution from the city is required.
Fiscal Note
Funding: U.S. Department of Justice Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grant
Attachments
Attachment(s)
Resolution
Budget Ordinance