Local View: Police, social workers working together can improve community safety
In Minnesota, greater than one in four adults reports symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorders. At the same time, public confidence in the police has reached a record low of 43% .
These two issues come to a head when a Minnesotan picks up the phone and dials 911.
As the need for comprehensive mental health services continues to rise , a growing number of communities are rethinking traditional police responses to nonviolent, crisis-related 911 calls. Implementing non-police response teams with police social workers could provide valuable support. In Minnesota and throughout the country, police social workers reframe law enforcement as not the overall authoritative force but more a part of a broader team working toward community welfare, helping to create communities that are safer and more resilient.
Through methods like de-escalation and intervention, social workers create a safer, more-compassionate, and holistic response to crisis situations. Fostering these types of partnerships between first responders and mental health professionals builds trust within communities. Minnesota policymakers must continue prioritizing legislative efforts to promote these programs to shift the stigma and improve crisis intervention throughout our state.
Approximately 80% of the patrol work that police officers perform consists of responding to calls that involve social problems. These situations are often nonviolent, involving individuals who may be experiencing mental health crises but who pose no immediate threat to public safety. In these cases, the goal is to de-escalate volatile situations, and police officers are simply not trained to do that in many cases.
Their mission is to protect and serve, whereas social workers are trained in the well-being of individuals, especially those from marginalized groups. Having a police social worker in these situations allows for quick assessments and can help diffuse tension before a situation worsens.
Social workers bring a unique set of skills, making them equipped to handle nonviolent crisis calls. They can use their training to calm individuals, connect them to appropriate resources, and help them achieve a nonviolent outcome. Conversely, in certain instances without specific training in mental health response, a police officer may perceive an individual as a threat based on situational training like Integrating Communications Assessment and Tactics, or ICAT .
A social worker on a response team also protects the officer. A recent FBI report found the rate of assaults on law-enforcement officers reached a 10-year high in 2023, with more than 79,000 officer attacks reported. Having a social worker on the scene who can aid in early intervention can reduce the likelihood of situations turning violent and protect the safety of the person in crisis, the other responders, and the community.
Providing rapid assessments to determine whether an individual may need services like psychiatric evaluation, counseling, or immediate crisis intervention are just some of the examples of how a social worker's training can address complex social issues effectively and compassionately.
Cities like Bloomington, Minnesota, and Duluth are examples of how this approach can be — and has already been — successful. Bloomington's police social worker program has had significant reductions in emergency calls, in some cases 22 to zero and over 1,300 referrals with 80 to 100 cases monthly. Additionally, the program supports the police department's growth by providing training and wellness resources to prevent vulnerable individuals from relying on 911 for basic services. Similar success stories can be found in Columbus, Ohio and other cities.
Keeping these programs going and expanding them to other communities requires sustained policy and financial support. With limited budgets, these programs often face tough choices about how to allocate resources. Or, due to a lack of understanding of the value social workers bring to crisis intervention, these programs fail before even being launched. Our city officials have a responsibility to help inspire a paradigm shift to garner more widespread support for these programs.
It's evident that we need a safer, more compassionate response to crisis situations. This involves reimagining our response systems to approach nonviolent scenarios with empathy, de-escalation, and other resources to connect individuals with the support they need. By prioritizing mental health care and community engagement, we can build a foundation that reduces harm, creating safer outcomes for all parties involved. To ensure these efforts continue, policymakers must advocate for the involvement of police social workers in community safety.
It's time for policymakers and community officials to embrace police social workers as a critical part of public safety. By building partnerships, securing funding, and shifting public perception, police social workers can become a fixture in our communities and help reshape our approach to public safety and crisis response for the better. A holistic response to individuals in crisis allows us to build community trust and create a future that prioritizes both public safety and human dignity.
