Created: April 20, 2021 04:45 PM
SANTA FE, N.M.- The City of Santa Fe is changing the way it responds to people suffering from a mental health or substance abuse crisis.
During a news conference Monday, Mayor Alan Webber announced the city's new Alternative Response Unit.
It will consist of a police officer, a paramedic and a social worker trained in crisis intervention.
“It's an awareness that there are people in our community who have behavioral health needs, mental health needs, social issues, that really don't rise to the level of being a matter of law enforcement. They're a matter of public health,” said Webber.