Sheriff and Community Mental Health Partner to Bring Co-Response to Washtenaw County, MI
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By Matthew Alemu
Introduction
“Don’t hurt them!” I heard this appeal from a Black male driving by what he likely interpreted as the start of an unprovoked police encounter with a civilian. At a quick glance, this driver’s perception makes sense. He saw two bulletproofvest-clad uniformed individuals emerging from a subdued undercover police vehicle and approaching a Black female passively panhandling. This drive-by plea was likely motivated by recent incidents of Black people receiving fatal or excessive force from law enforcement for non-violent offenses. Yet, unbeknownst to the general public, this was not technically a police engagement at all. Instead, it was a pilot alternative response effort co-led by the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) and Washtenaw Community Mental Health (CMH) called the Co-Response Unit (CRU). This essay captures evidence from over 100 hours of observations of CRU and related operations as well as interviews with key stakeholders as part of an implementation evaluation led by the University of Chicago’s Health Lab.
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Related: Washtenaw County Co-Response Unit (CRU) Pilot Evaluation from University of Chicago’s Health Lab