The Madison, Wisconsin Community Alternative Response for Emergency Services (or CARES) program answered over half of the city’s mental health calls in 2022. This totaled 935 calls within their first year of operation, and “only 3% of CARES calls resulted in transfers to MPD officers, who, by state law, are the only people who can engage in emergency detentions.” Imagine how many people will be helped by this program instead of hurt during a crisis. Read more here.
