Just three-percent of the calls to Madison’s alternative emergency response program have been sent to the police.
City leaders yesterday said the CARES program is working because workers have been able to deal with almost all of their calls without getting the police involved. The CARES program is designed to do just that, have mental health workers deal with non-emergency calls for assistance. CARES handled 935 calls over the past year, most for behavioral health concerns or suicidal thoughts.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway says she’s happy with the program’s performance.
