Oak Park is making headway on a complicated topic. They aren’t there yet.
The goal is to integrate an alternative response option for police calls which do not require a sworn and armed officer to arrive. These might be calls with a mental health focus or just a minor incident.
Under a proposed two-year-pilot a team of mental health professionals or a community service officer would be sent on some calls. In other cases, a blend of mental health and police staff would be dispatched.
The goal of de-escalating interventions which involve mental health concerns is critical. Still being discussed is the proposal to use both newly hired mental health pros while blending in contracted support from Thrive Counseling Center. We’re still unclear on the seeming decision to have these new hires operate parallel to the police department and not be on the police staff. We also wonder if adding social-service capacity could allow for fewer sworn officers.
Mainly we are appreciative of the work of many people — a task force, BerryDunn consultants, police leadership, the village’s HR leaders — in bringing us to this hopeful place.