Full Circle Exclusive: Changing how the police protect and serve the community
Exclusive look at SPPD new CALL program
Social workers taking non-violent 911 calls in St. Pete
and last updated 2021-05-13 18:44:38-04
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. â On the fourth floor of the St. Petersburg Police Department s parking garage, more than a dozen people in a different kind of uniform were waiting for their day to start.
The team of social workers and mental health experts had on their new grey polo shirts with the letters CALL embroidered on the chest. It stands for Community Assistance and Life Liaison. CALL is a pilot program that makes sweeping changes to how police will protect and serve the community. Announced in July of 2020, the program finally got underway in February of this year following some delays.