The BSO Weston District has been participating in the BSO Co-Responder Program program since January 1^st and will continue until July 2024, with no additional cost to the City. The program is a BSO crisis response pilot initiative, which aims to reduce the potential for harm and provide alternatives to arrest for those who are experiencing mental health emergencies.  

The following information is provided by the Broward Sheriff's Office: 

The Co-Responder Program is an innovative BSO crisis response pilot initiative that has been changing lives, ensuring the safety and well-being of our community and setting a new standard for effective mental health support.

Launched in 2022 in Deerfield Beach, the BSO Co-responder Program pairs a licensed mental health clinician with a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trained deputy. When a call for service involving a mental health crisis comes in, the team promptly responds to the scene together. The team further conducts follow-up wellness checks with individuals and their families who have recently experienced a mental health crisis, providing guidance, support and assistance with linkage to behavioral health services.

This combination of proficiencies enables us to provide enhanced de-escalation assistance and connect individuals with community-based social services and mental health treatment. When appropriate, we can divert individuals from the criminal justice system, ensuring they receive the care they need. We further provide deputies on patrol with timely and easily accessible clinical expertise as they encounter individuals with varied symptoms of behavioral health deterioration. This approach has achieved significant results, including reduced arrests, diversions from the criminal justice system, a significant increase in mental health referrals, reduced repeat encounters and zero use of force. As we continue to witness the positive impact of this program, we are eager to expand its reach and extend its benefits to even more members of our community. 

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training

The cornerstone of our mental health work starts with our CIT program. CIT provides specialized training to help identify and more effectively engage an individual living with a mental health issue. The key is de-escalation. In situations where moods can shift and actions can escalate quickly, the first few moments of contact are critical to calming individuals.

Our CIT-trained employees are placed where they can have the most significant impact. For example, all our school resource deputies are CIT-trained. In addition, our 9-1-1 communications operators undergo CIT training to identify which calls might require a specialized response. This training is critical on the front lines. About 55 percent of BSO's law enforcement deputies are CIT certified; the goal is to reach 100.