Mayor Harrell proposes citywide expansion of new public safety department
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell on Wednesday said he will expand the Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department across the city.
Launched as a pilot program last fall, CARE is the city's new public safety department that complements the work of firefighters and police officers. It includes an unarmed six-member pilot team.
The responders work in pairs. The full team responds seven days a week to low-level incidents downtown, the Chinatown International District and Sodo. The work of the team, which also has one manager, frees up police to respond to more urgent calls.
Harrell wants to hire 18 responders and three supervisors in the coming months. Based on 911 call volumes, the expansion will be phased starting this fall in North Seattle, followed by South and Southwest Seattle by the end of the year.
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2024/06/27/harrell-proposes-making-care-department-citywide.html