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A tragic police shooting in Independence involving a mother struggling with postpartum depression has renewed focus on alternative crisis response programs that could prevent similar incidents.
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Maria Pike and her baby Destinii Hope
On November 7, 2024, Independence police officers responded to a domestic disturbance call involving Maria Pike and her baby, Destinii.
Improved mental health response after fatal police shooting in Independence
Police body camera footage showed that the situation escalated quickly as Pike got a knife.
The officer stated, “She turned and came at me. I thought she was going to kill me. So, I shot her.”
Family members say Pike struggled with postpartum depression. An Independence Police Department mental health co-responder was just moments away when the shooting happened.
There is a growing movement toward alternative crisis response.
“Across the U.S., there’s really been a push to rethink how 9-1-1 responds to behavioral health crises,” said Dr. Jessica Gillooly, assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice at Suffolk University.
La’Nita Brooks
Dr. Jessica Gillooly, assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice at Suffolk University
Gillooly studies the 911 call system and the role dispatchers play in shaping first responses. She says alternative responses can involve sending trained mental health workers to certain 911 calls, with or without police present.
More than 100 cities in the U.S. have alternative response programs. Teams can consist of licensed social workers, clinicians, community members with lived experience, and EMT’s or paramedics.
“The decisions dispatchers have to make around whether a call qualifies for an unarmed civilian response or a police response, it’s a really tough call,” Gillooly said.
Success stories from other cities
In Durham, North Carolina, alternative response teams are showing promising results.
“Their Hart team of alternative responders, they’ve responded to 32,000 calls,” said Gillooly. “They’ve asked for police backup in less than 0.5% of those calls, and their responders have been surveyed after going to the calls. 99% of them have felt safe in the interactions.”.
Earlier this year, the Kansas City Fire Department launched a pilot program where a social worker teams up with a paramedic once a week to respond to mental health crisis calls.
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KCFD pilot program shifts paramedics job once a week to serve as co-responders
Challenges remain
Despite the success of some programs, Gillooly believes cultural changes are needed within 911 dispatch centers.
“Even places that have behavioral health teams that could go out to 911 calls, the dispatchers are still defaulting to sending out patrol officers,” Gillooly said. “And so, thinking about, how do we change the culture inside 911 centers so that dispatchers feel comfortable with civilian response? I think that’s a really important issue right now.”
Funding remains a constant challenge for these programs. Many local programs run on grant funding, and the KCFD pilot program shifts the paramedic’s job once a week rather than creating dedicated positions.
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In the Spring we followed an Independence Mental Health Co-Responder & Police Officer fielding calls
Gillooly believes as alternative response teams continue to grow, they can be lifesaving in emergency crises involving mental health issues.
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