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Charlotte's CARE Team sends licensed social workers, not police officers, to some 911 calls

The city's CARE Team uses licensed social workers to respond to low-level calls for service instead of police officers.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A pilot program in Charlotte is showing promise while also freeing up resources in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

The city's CARE Team uses licensed social workers to respond to low-level calls for service instead of police officers.

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On Monday, the group gave the City Council's housing committee an update on the pilot program and how it has expanded since its start.

The CARE Team consists of licensed social workers who go on what would normally be low-risk 911 calls often involving calls with mental health and other types of non-violent crises. There have been more than 260 calls since the start of the program.

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They say their goal is to reduce the need for emergency services while providing the appropriate response for people in need. This helps increase the connectivity between first responders and community partners, without using police officers who could then focus on other more urgent calls.

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