WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The idea is growing across the country. A new approach to policing focuses on reducing the load on law enforcement by separating non-violent calls.
It’s called the behavioral evaluation and response team — the B.E.A.R. Team. WFMY News 2's Hannah Jeffries closely examines Winston-Salem’s team, which is now expanding.
Victoria Williams spends most of her workday on the streets of Winston-Salem.
“It can be someone experiencing homelessness and also having a mental health crisis. So, we must stabilize them first, which means getting that med management piece set up, and then we can try to get them into secure housing,” said B.E.A.R. Team Crisis Counselor Victoria Williams.
Currently, the team is comprised of seven members.
“We're trained in mental health specifically and have a lot of experience working with many individuals in crisis,” said Kristin Ryan, the B.E.A.R team director.
The counselors approach calls differently than law enforcement or first responders typically take. They respond to non-violent calls like mental health, domestic, and substance abuse.
“We do have a slightly warmer approach regarding our vehicles. We're not going to alert the neighbors or anything like that when we do pull in," Ryan continued.
It's a relatively new operation. They've been taking calls for almost a year now. Responding to nearly 2,000 and working 24/7.
“We've had to have really creative scheduling and an on-call system to make sure that we are always available at the same time that law enforcement's available as we are their alternative,” Ryan explained.
The B.E.A.R. team is busy, yet their workload will be lighter now. Thanks to $700,000 from the federal government, they are getting four more counselors.
"I think we'll get some more sleep. I think that it will be awesome to welcome new members because all of us, even though trained and mental health are from different backgrounds so I can always call this teammate for their expertise in this area,” Ryan.
Now that they have the money, they'll work to find counselors just like Williams to support each shift and ensure follow-up calls.
Greensboro also has A B.E.A.R. team. Their team is a little older; it was created in 2020. It differs from Winston-Salem’s team a little, too. Winston-Salem's team is available 24/7, while Greensboro’s team works from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.