"They average about 500 calls a month," he said. "Those are 500 calls our police used to have to respond to."
RESOURCES: Get help with mental health issues
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The CRT is made up over around a dozen workers trained in de-escalation tactics who can respond to lower level 911 calls. Those calls typically involve the city's unhoused and they're usually mental health calls.
We focus on de escalation, mitigation, pre-escalation," said Curtis Penn, the team's division director. "Our main focus is going into the community, 911 low response emergency calls."
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Hernandez-Thorpe went with them in the morning while they responded to an encampment. The call was for unwanted guests by nearby residents. The CRT showed up to let those at the encampment know they need to leave, and they offered them resources.
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"We just touch base with everyone there to see what they needed, if they needed medical or some kind of resources," said Nick Jenkins, one of the program managers. "Majority just wanted something to eat on and some water."
Hernandez-Thorpe wants to expand the program. Right now, they only have one van and team of around a dozen. He wants at least two vans and more staff, but in-order to achieve that the city will need to make room in it's budget. They need to free up around $2 million. People in the community desperately want that.
"I have two businesses right now, I am paying tax, do I get anything back? No," said Tony, a restaurant owner who didn't want to share his last name. "Let them use the money to build the city back. I have customers tell me 'I love you but I don't want to go to your bar. I don't want to go to your restaurant.' Why? Because there are people going around talking to themselves, screaming."
MORE: East Bay community group wants no more police for mental health calls amid SoCal teen shooting
Members of the response team say they've been seen as a better alternative to police.
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"Some people love to see us. Some people don't want to see a badge and a gun because they know that's an authority figure," Jenkins said. "We come with the purple shirts on that's less aggressive. We definitely want to talk to you first to find out what is going on before we decide what we are going to do if anything."
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