The Milwaukee and West Allis police departments operate Crisis Assessment and Response Teams — special units that pair behavioral health specialists with uniformed officers to respond to 911 calls for people in a mental health crisis.
Now, the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office is creating three deputy sheriff positions to deploy with mental health specialists to respond to such crises in the 17 Milwaukee County communities without such services.
The new units will not affect the county tax levy because the $300,000 needed for the positions is being shifted from the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division to the sheriff's office — a controversial approach that met with some pushback with county supervisors but ultimately passed on a 13-5 vote of the County Board.