Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Alisa Roth

St. Paul City Council funds police mental health unit expansion

St. Paul police squad car
Less than a year after the St. Paul Police Department debuted a mental health unit, the city council agreed to fund its expansion.
Tim Nelson | MPR News 2016

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

The budget the St. Paul City Council approved Wednesday includes funding to expand the police department's mental health unit from four officers to seven. This will let the unit take on more cases, and respond to calls during evenings and other off-hours. The unit will be staffed from 7 a.m. until midnight.

The city council allotted more than $270,000 for the coming year.

While all St. Paul police officers are trained to handle mental health crisis situations, such as a person who needs to go to the hospital or is at risk of suicide, this unit is designed to prevent crises from happening in the first place. The specially trained officers and a social worker help connect the person with services to help deal with their problems, whether it's finding housing resources or connecting them to mental healthcare.

While more and more police departments are acknowledging their roles in dealing with mental health issues, this unit is unusual in including social workers and acting as intermediaries between the person in need and available resources.

The unit, which started in the spring, added a second social worker this fall.