KUNC
Chris Richardson, in this file photo dated Nov. 6, 2020, is one of the mental health professionals who staffs the STAR van in Denver. He says STAR has stood on the shoulders of co-responder programs. During their six-month pilot, they haven't had to call for police back-up when responding to mental health-related calls.
Following a summer in which protesters marched for changes in policing, law enforcement leaders from across the state touted the successes of co-responder programs during an online forum on mental health and criminal justice last week.
Chief Rick Brandt, head of the Evans Police Department, said that their co-responder program has become “indispensable.” Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle described getting emails from officers who wrote that they are “in awe” of their co-responders teams.