A team of two law enforcement officers paired with one mental health clinician will hit the streets next month in an effort to more appropriately handle people who are at the breaking point, Redding Police Chief Bill Schueller told the Redding City Council at their meeting this week.
The pilot project is a first for Shasta County and is intended to calm tense situations, reduce the need for use of deadly force on the part of law enforcement officials and get mental health help to people who need it.
Last year, there were 900 law enforcement calls involving someone in a mental health crisis, or nearly three a day, Schueller said.