MOUNT VERNON â In September, a new team from the Skagit County Sheriffâs Office hit the streets.
Itâs not a group with fancy new technology or gadgets, but instead is designed to address the basics â and change the way policing is done, one person at a time.
âTreatment, diversion and reduced incarceration time are primary goals of this program,â Skagit County Sheriff Don McDermott said.
In partnership with Compass Health, the Sheriffâs Office formed its Integrated Model of Police and Crisis Teams (IMPACT), which partners deputies and mental health workers to respond to calls together in order to help people get the services they need, not just jail time.