Tuesday, the Seattle City Council’s public safety committee is hearing updates on a new proposed ordinance to refine the mission of the city’s CARE Department and its crisis responders.
CHS reported this week on CARE’s new East Precinct hub at 12th and Jefferson as Chief Amy Barden guides the department to overcome limitations placed on its responders.
The new ordinance proposal would refine the goals of CARE — and, possibly, allow SPD to more fully embrace the department’s role in public safety in the city.
The proposed ordinance (PDF) would include a key clarification, codifying boundaries for field staff, explicitly stating that responders cannot engage in criminal law enforcement or issue citations of any kind.
It would also provide structure and new rules in the following areas:
- Refined Goals: CARE’s baseline mission is updated to explicitly include accountability while removing the word “compassionate” from the legal text of the mission statement
- Response Environment: It legally defines the environment where responders can operate, specifying that they are trained to provide support in situations where there is no active threat of violence or medical emergency
- Beyond 9-1-1: Previously, diversified community-focused responses were explicitly tied to “911 calls”. The updates expand this to “incidents identified via 9-1-1 calls or other mechanisms,” allowing the department to respond to a broader range of entry points.
- Agency Referrals: The proposed ordinance authorizes responders to respond to field requests initiated directly by the Seattle Police Department or the Seattle Fire Department
- King County Liaison Role: CARE would now serve as the City of Seattle’s official point of contact for all King County programs and initiatives related to clinical crisis and behavioral health. The ordinance would also add a new duty allowing CCRs to assist with the post-release care coordination of individuals released from the King County Jail.
This winter, Barden said CARE crisis responders remain hamstrung and sidelined by the new contract with the Seattle Police Officers Guild union.
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