NYU – Reimagining Public Safety

Scaling Alternative Response Programs

This is a past webinar co-hosted by Harvard Kennedy School's Government Performance Lab. Our panel of experts expanded on the webinar series we started in January as part of our Reimagining Public Safety Initiative. The panelists explored different aspects of scaling alternative response programs such as: How can communities develop pilots that can later be scaled up? How can alternative responder programs ensure their services are fully utilized in the early stages? What practical considerations are implicated by scaling up, such as where programs are housed, how programs are funded, and ensuring support for the growing workforce?

‍

Panelists

Gabriela Solis, Project Leader at the Harvard Government Performance Lab

Gabriela Solis is a Project Leader for the Government Performance Lab’s (GPL) criminal justice team where she leads the Alternative 9-1-1 Emergency Response Initiative. Through this initiative, Gabriela and her team have provided intensive technical assistance to 15 governments seeking to improve outcomes for residents by diverting 9-1-1 calls to unarmed trained professionals equipped to offer connections to supportive services. Gabriela also leads a Community of Practice made up of upwards of 70 governments undertaking the implementation of alternative response teams.

Ryan Smith, Director of Community Safety at the City of Durham, North Carolina

Ryan Smith serves as Director of the City of Durham’s Community Safety Department which operates Durham's newest first responder branch called HEART (holistic empathetic assistance response teams). HEART adds new first response capabilities to the City focused on calls for service involving mental health crises and other calls involving houselessness, substance use, and other quality of life concerns.

Andrew Dameron, Director of Emergency Communications at the City of Denver, Colorado

Andrew Dameron serves as the Director of Emergency Communications for the City and County of Denver. Andrew has led emergency communications teams in a wide variety of fields, including 9-1-1, healthcare, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He is a Certified Public Safety Executive through the Association for Public Safety Communications (APCO).

Host(s)

Matthew Barge is an attorney, partner at 21CP Solutions, and senior consultant to the Policing Project. He is a civil rights and police practices expert and often leads and serves on consent decree monitoring teams.

Matthew Barge, Senior Policing Fellow at the NYU Policing Project.