CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A new Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department team helped more than a dozen people experiencing mental health crises during its first weekend of operation.
The Community Policing Crisis Response Team said it had 12 calls for service and identified nine more people who may also need help.
The team also visited six locations to educate people about the new program.
The team's mission is to respond to scenes where officers are dealing with community members experiencing a mental health or substance abuse crisis.
[CMPD pairing officers with social workers to help de-escalate mental health calls]
It's made up of eight officers and six counselors and is one of only seven programs of its kind in the entire country.
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