The two-year anniversary of Arrive Together, a program to handle mental health emergencies through a partnership of law enforcement and mental health resources, was celebrated Thursday in Trenton.
A report published earlier this year by the Brookings Institution included data that showed force wasn’t used in 97% of cases during an Arrive Together call and 98% of calls did not result in an arrest. But not everyone is celebrating the program.
Zellie Thomas of Black Lives Matter Paterson says community members have continually expressed their concerns about Arrive Together to the attorney general’s office. “This is not about hating police officers,” said Thomas. “It’s about recognizing that police officers can’t solve all the problems in our community. They shouldn’t have to and they can’t. So, we recognize that and instead we’re trying to propose an alternative.”
Platkin says the Arrive Together program will be tailored to handle the needs of every community, to keep everyone safe.
