Phoenix invested $15 million about three years ago to expand a crisis response program that had been volunteer-based for decades.
The program administrator said at a public meeting on Wednesday that about two-thirds of the staff that the money can pay for has been hired.
The administrator of the Community Assistance Program has said the vision is to eliminate police from having to respond to calls where they’re not subject-matter experts.
More than half of the behavioral health and crisis response units the Program can pay for have been staffed, and hiring continues.
Making the units available 24-7 by the end of March is one of many recommendations from the Phoenix City Council after a blistering civil rights report by the U.S. Justice Department.
But the program administrator did not say if the goal can be accomplished at a recent Public Safety Subcommittee meeting and no member asked about it.
