FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 30, 2024                                                                                 

Contact: Colleen Kristich, 716-794-1270, colleen@ppgbuffalo.org

Coalition Calls for Community Responders in Buffalo and Erie County and Announces $100,000 NYS Funding Award for Pilot

Buffalo, NY – Today, a new policy report from Partnership for the Public Good calls for Buffalo and Erie County to invest in community responders. Community responders are first responders who respond to nonviolent, noncriminal calls without police. Over 100 American cities now use community responder teams to address low-level health and social needs, which saves police and ambulance time and allows them to respond faster to higher-priority calls.

According to new data released in the report, over 80% of 911 calls to Buffalo Police do not involve crime or violence, and yet police are almost always sent. Instead, community responder teams composed of health professionals and trained peers can be safely deployed without police to many calls and prevent situations from escalating into a crisis. Teams provide person-centered care and emotional support including de-escalation and mediation, non-emergency medical care, basics like food and water, and linkage or transport to community resources such as shelters or treatment facilities for further care.

In other cities, community responder programs have stellar safety records, with no deaths or serious injuries for staff or members of the public. Many programs respond to tens of thousands of calls a year and divert up to half of noncriminal calls from a police response. Community responder teams rarely need to call for backup, with programs requesting an ambulance or police assistance in less than 3% of all calls. The cost savings to police, court, jail, ambulance, and hospital systems are significant.

The Community Responders for Erie County Coalition has secured an initial $100,000 in New York State funding to begin community outreach, training, and data collection for a pilot community responder program in Buffalo. The Coalition includes the Erie County Restorative Justice Coalition, Partnership for the Public Good, Little People’s Victory, VOICE Buffalo, Evergreen Health, and community members.

The policy report released today details the current landscape of first response in Buffalo and Erie County, describes community responder programs in other cities, and makes recommendations for establishing community responder programs here. 

“Today in Buffalo, when we’re concerned about someone’s well-being, but the situation isn’t yet a crisis, there is no good option,” said report author Colleen Kristich of Partnership for the Public Good. “When we have community responders, we know we can call someone who will respond quickly, be compassionate, and will help ensure people get their needs met. This will strengthen our neighborhoods and help us all feel safer.”

“If Community Responders are able to free up the police from responding to up to 80% of the calls sent their way, it would go a long way in decriminalizing mental and behavioral health as well as actually and effectively meeting the needs of our community,” said Nicolalita Rodriguez de Melgar, LMSW, CHW, trauma therapist and founder of Little People’s Victory.

“Buffalo needs Community Responders. As one of the most segregated cities in the country, a community responder model would best serve the needs of small neighborhoods across the city. No one will recognize the issues and solutions for neighborly disputes or culturally appropriate responses to social issues better than those who come from the community,” said Charis Humphrey of Erie County Restorative Justice Coalition, on the valuable role of peer workers on community responder teams.

Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera said, “First responders are the backbone of our community’s safety and well-being. This report prepared by the Partnership for the Public Good and the Community Responders for Erie County Coalition highlights not only their indispensable role but also the critical need to expand the resources and options available for addressing mental health, substance use, and other social needs in our region. By exploring alternative response programs, we can ensure our first responders are supported and that individuals in crisis receive the specialized care they need.”

The report, “Bringing Community Responders to Erie County,” is available online at: https://ppgbuffalo.org/files/documents/health/general/bringing_community_responders_to_erie_county.pdf

The press conference was streamed on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/FDdDpsotGnueaNBh/?mibextid=WC7FNe