Denver 911 Mental Health Pilot Cut Crime Reports By 34%

The Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) pilot program launched by the city of Denver, on June 1, 2020, cut crime reports by 34% during the first six months of the program. The program dispatched a mental health community response team rather than law enforcement in response to 911 calls about minor criminal offenses, such as trespassing or public disorder. Compared to the number of low-level criminal offenses before the pilot started, there were an estimated 1,400 fewer during the pilot. Reports of minor criminal offenses were lower even during hours when the community response program was not in . . .