WHITE PLAINS – Westchester County Executive George Latimer announces seven Mobile Response Teams in the county located with local police departments.
They will have the responsibility of providing 24-hour mobile behavioral health crisis support when responding to emergencies.
The mobile response team program was a recommendation of Project Alliance, a task force created by Latimer in 2021 to help re-imagine policing in the county.
Law enforcement training to help police effectively deescalate situations involving people with behavioral health challenges was determined a tip priority, and as a result the team program was formed and is being implemented with the Port Chester Police Department serving as the first host site.
The other six team sites include Greenburgh, Mount Kisco, New Rochelle, Ossining, Peekskill, and Yonkers Police.
“Every emergency, every 911 call, is different,” said Latimer. “When our police respond to an emergency and it is clear that someone is struggling with a mental health issue, we want them to be armed with the tools that they need to prevent a serious crisis before it occurs.”
