Stay updated with breaking news from Alternative Response Pilot Program. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
A pilot program by the city of Columbus sent "triage pods" on certain mental health emergency calls instead of police officers. Officials there say the roughly one-month pilot has shown good early results.
© Getty Images The Alternative Response Pilot Program, a part-time pilot program in Columbus, Ohio, has been a large success for the city, leading officials to plan an expansion of the program, city officials announced Thursday. The pilot program, which consists of a "Triage Pod" of a social worker, emergency communications dispatcher and paramedic, aims to cut down police involvement in mental health, drug addiction or other social issues in emergency situations. Of the calls received by the Pod, 62.5 percent did not need immediate police or fire department intervention. According to th...