TRENTON – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced today that the City of Trenton will join five other municipalities in Mercer County in participating in the Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence and Escalation (ARRIVE) Together program. Law enforcement officers from the Trenton Police Department will be partnered with mental health professionals from the Capital Health Regional Medical Center Crisis Unit to respond to 9-1-1 calls for individuals experiencing mental health emergencies and follow up on calls where law enforcement has identified that a person would benefit from mental or behavioral health support.

“By implementing ARRIVE Together, the Trenton Police Department is taking an important step towards ensuring better outcomes for residents of our state’s capital city who encounter law enforcement while in need of mental health services,” said Attorney General Platkin. “I am pleased that Trenton’s municipal, law enforcement, and community leaders recognize ARRIVE’s value in improving public safety and continue to be grateful for Governor Murphy’s and the Legislature’s ongoing support of this important program.”

Since ARRIVE’s inception in December 2021, increases in funding – including a $549,750 competitive federal grant – have allowed the program to expand to all 21 counties in the state, serving more than 50 percent of New Jersey’s 9.3 million residents. The Fiscal Year 2025 budget allocates $20.1 million to maintain current ARRIVE programs and support expansion.

This March, Attorney General Platkin issued an Administrative Directive to formally establish the Office of Alternative and Community Responses (OACR) to support, coordinate, and spearhead initiatives – including ARRIVE Together – aimed at how the Department of Law and Public Safety and New Jersey’s law enforcement agencies respond to public health emergencies from the perspective of public safety.

“ARRIVE Together has a proven record of improving outcomes when law enforcement officers respond to calls with a mental health component,” said Tiffany Wilson, Director of OACR. “With every new community that implements an ARRIVE model, we continue to build trust and partnerships between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”

The ARRIVE Together pilot began with a plainclothes trooper from the New Jersey State Police paired with a mental health screener from the Cumberland County Guidance Center, responding to 9-1-1 calls related to mental and behavioral health emergencies in an unmarked vehicle. As the program expanded, ARRIVE models have been customized to fit the unique needs, resources, and priorities of the communities in which they operate. Under Trenton’s model, teams of specially trained police officers paired with Capital Health mental health screeners and experts will be available to respond to calls at least two days per week. When not actively responding to calls, the teams will visit individuals in the community who might benefit from further assistance, follow up on calls, and connect individuals to resources and services.

“We’re pleased that our Capital City is implementing this important public safety program,” said Acting Mercer County Prosecutor Theresa L. Hilton. “Expanding ARRIVE’s presence in Mercer County is an important step forward in improving interactions between law enforcement officers and residents experiencing mental health emergencies.”

“We are extremely excited about this partnership between the Trenton Police Department and Capital Health. We strongly believe this initiative will enhance our approach to the well-being of our community, ensuring that we not only address immediate concerns but also provide crucial mental health resources and follow-up care,” said Mayor Reed Gusciora. “Officers and screeners will work in tandem to provide a more comprehensive response fitting the needs of all Trentonians, reflecting our unwavering commitment to public safety.”

“The Trenton Police Department is pleased to partner with the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, Capital Health, and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office with introducing the ARRIVE Together program to the City of Trenton,” said Trenton Police Department Director Steve E. Wilson. “In recognizing the need to more safely and efficiently address our residents who are living with mental health issues, the Trenton Police Department will respond to those residents with outreach personnel and officers trained in Crisis Intervention. There will also be follow up visits to help ensure the offer of assistance continues.”

“The importance of providing coordinated mental health support for our community cannot be overstated. ‘Arriving together’ with our partners in the Trenton Police Department means we can provide a more comprehensive and immediate response when someone is in crisis,” said Al Maghazehe, President and CEO, Capital Health. “Supported by our mental health services and our team’s expertise, we can make the response to mental health emergencies more successful working in tandem with the Trenton Police Department. Our goal is to provide rapid, thorough assessments and interventions to stabilize mental health emergencies and direct clients and loved ones toward appropriate mental health solutions. We appreciate the support of Attorney General Platkin, the Murphy administration and the Legislature for important initiatives such as this one.”

To learn more about the ARRIVE program and the current models operating across the state, please visit https://www.njoag.gov/programs/arrive-together/.

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