Cape Girardeau Police Department to take over operations of Co-Responder Unit

The Cape Girardeau Police Department will take over full operation of the Co-Responder Unit on Tuesday, July 23, a news release from Community Counseling Center announced.

CGPD secured enough funding for fiscal year 2025, which began Monday, July 1, to afford to fully take over the program.

Cape PD and CCC collaborated to create the Co-Responder Unit after CCC was awarded the Connect and Protect Grant by the United States Department of Justice in January 2022. The grant allowed CCC to “embed two behavioral health professionals within the police department as co-responders to assist with response to potential behavioral health calls.”

Two co-responders were hired by January 2023 and both CCC and CGPD soon recognized the benefits of the program. Because of its success, CCC and the police department began discussions surrounding sustainability planning and CGPD expressed interest in taking over the program.

“The success of our collaborative co-responder program is to be celebrated,” Cape Girardeau police chief Wes Blair said in the release. “Working together, we have significantly improved crisis intervention and mental health support within the community. This collaboration has enhanced public safety and well-being, demonstrating the positive impact of integrated law enforcement and mental health services.”