FAIRFAX, Va. — A new body camera video from Fairfax County Police shows an example of how the growing Co-Responder Unit works.
Police released footage of an interaction between an officer and a man that happened about two months ago on top of a parking garage. An officer could be seen approaching a man perched on the end of the garage, seemingly wanting to jump off. The officer repeatedly told the individual that the police were there to help.
“I just want to have a conversation with you,” the officer said. “We care about you. That’s why both of us are here. We understand you’re going through a lot right now.”
The interaction would continue for a few moments as the officer remained calm, stayed respectful, and actively listened. Police say at one point, the man expressed how he felt crowded when other officers began to show up. They immediately backed away.
“We have other resources that we can give you and I'll be with you for the rest of the journey today,” the officer continued. “Can I give you my hand and we go walk together in my car and get you some help today.”
A mental health clinician, with a co-responder team, quickly responded. The mental health expert spoke to the man for about 20 minutes before he got off.
“The clinician went forward, and our co-responder officer stayed back to not crowd the subject,” Crisis Intervention Team Commander Lr. Joanna Culkin told WUSA9. “He was talking to this gentleman and understand what he was going through and understand what was going on in his life that brought him to that point of crisis.”
The call is just one of 1,300 responses for the Co-Responder Unit ever since the program began in 2021.
The program pairs up a behavioral health expert with an officer trained in crisis intervention on mental health calls. The teams are one section that makes up the Fairfax Behavior Health Crisis Response System, which also includes 911, mobile crisis units, and the regional crisis call center (988).
The Co-Responder program currently has three teams. Two of the teams work seven days a week from 12 p.m. to midnight while the third is only operating three days a week between 2 p.m. and 11 p.m.
The plan is to launch a fourth team this Fall.
The goal is to “increase timely on-scene assessment and de-escalation of behavioral health crises, increase linkages to behavioral health services and supports, and decrease criminal justice involvement and arrests.”
New data as of June 30 showed over 50% of calls were resolved in the field, approximately 30% of responses resulted in a diversion from a potential arrest and/or hospitalization, 26% resulted in a referral to a higher level of care, and 17% resulted in an Emergency Custody Order and/or Temporary Detention Order.
Lt. Culkin said the interaction caught on video is an example of how empathy can go a long way.
“In that moment, if someone is in crisis, they really want a human being to talk to them and relate to them on that level,” she said.