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T-R PHOTO BY JOE FISHER
MPACT community advocates Darcy Andersen and Autumn Drewelow have already been responding to calls in the first weeks since the program’s launch.
Interactions between the police and public are changing in Marshalltown.
The Marshalltown Police Department and Youth Shelter Services have launched their pilot program MPACT Marshalltown Police and Community Team.
The program teams law enforcement with social workers to help people in crisis without the need to make arrests when possible.
Two social workers, called community advocates, respond to calls with the police department when their services are appropriate. After police determine the situation is safe, the advocates can work with people to provide resources.