Crime & Safety
San Rafael Launches 'SAFE' Crisis Response Team
A new civilian team will respond to calls for service to help people experiencing mental health or substance abuse issues.
SAN RAFAEL, CA — San Rafael leaders on Wednesday hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome the city's new "SAFE" team, tasked with handling crisis response, prevention and intervention efforts.
The Specialized Assistance for Everyone team launched in October 2021 as a new model for crisis response in partnership with Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Cotati and the Petaluma People Services Center. San Rafael's team is run jointly by the city and the Petaluma center.
The program is staffed by civilian first responders, rather than members of law enforcement, and will respond proactively to crisis situations involving people experiencing mental health or substance abuse issues.
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"San Rafael's inclusion into this program will be another great partnership in California to use this model to assist our community members, increase health awareness, and enhance services already provided to the community," said David Spiller, San Rafael's police chief.
The program officially launched Wednesday afternoon with a ceremony at the San Rafael Public Safety Center.
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