Cambridge Police has a program they say every department should have – they’re patrolling the streets with police officers and trained mental health clinicians.
The “Co-Response Team” can step in when there’s a call involving a mental health crisis.
This part of the Clinical Support Unit, overseen by Dr. Jamie Barrett, was developed in 2024. Barrett says they want to focus on whatever brought a person in contact with police in the first place, so they can address that problem and reduce the chance of repeated calls for service.
At Cambridge police, that responsibility goes to Officer Qaiss Farazi, aka “Q,” and clinician Kate Moore.
“We’ll go out in the morning, kind of hit up the spots that are busy and communicate with people and when a mental health call comes in, we respond,” Farazi explained.
Moore feels comfortable answering the calls.
“He’ll clear the scene, make sure it’s safe for me to be there as well and then I’m able to assess and determine the help they need,” moore said.
Barrett said the officers love having the support in place because it takes the burden off them to have to be a social worker and an officer at the same time.
Unlike regular patrols, this team has the benefit of time.
“When you’re on patrol it’s very limited. You have 15 minutes to get the job done. Where in this position there have been times when we spend 5, 6, 7, 8 hours with people,” Farazi said.
They get people the services they need to help put them on a path to a healthier future. it’s preventative policing, keeping more people out of the emergency room and out of jail. And it’s a benefit every city and town could use – if they can find the funding.
Barrett suggests departments “think about public safety response in a holistic manner. I think a lot of times it’s going to bring a lot of value to municipalities and in the long run can actually save money”.
The Cambridge program is funded through grants from the state Department of Mental Health.