🔮 What will your Program's make of 2026?

A look at how agencies are strengthening crisis response with behavioral health training, diversion initiatives, and privacy-conscious technology.

January 14, 2026

In partnership with

Today’s Brief:

  • Behavioral Health Briefs

  • Enhanced Public Safety: Dubuque Police Deploy Flock Safety Technology to Deter Crime

  • Strategic Alternatives: Implementing Diversion and Deflection to Optimize Jail Resources

  • Social Briefs

    Total Read Time: 8 minutes

Behavioral Health Briefs

The Wake Forest Police Department has announced that Officers Corrigan and March recently completed 40 hours of specialized Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training to better assist individuals experiencing mental health or developmental disability crises. This collaborative program equips officers with advanced de-escalation techniques and identification skills, aiming to reduce injuries and divert individuals from the criminal justice system toward appropriate medical care.

Muscatine program helping law enforcement during mental health calls

This voluntary initiative provides drivers with disabilities a blue envelope to hold their essential documents and information regarding their specific condition. The program serves as a vital tool for law enforcement to quickly identify communication needs, reducing stress and ensuring safer interactions for both officers and motorists.

Julota empowers smarter crisis responses by simplifying and streamlining Law Enforcement and Behavioral Health programs. By integrating hospital, EMS, and social services data into a centralized platform, it enables seamless, secure, and HIPAA-compliant collaboration. Automated reporting ensures compliance, while customizable workflows address community-specific needs. With actionable insights, teams can improve outcomes and secure greater funding, making Julota the only software purpose-built to bridge law enforcement and behavioral health with compassion and efficiency.

The Dubuque Police Department is implementing new technological measures to bolster community safety through the installation of Flock Safety license plate readers. These automated cameras are designed to capture high-quality images of license plates and vehicle characteristics, providing investigators with real-time leads on stolen vehicles and suspects involved in serious crimes.

Unlike traditional surveillance, the system focuses on objective vehicle data rather than facial recognition, ensuring a balance between effective policing and resident privacy. By integrating this technology into their daily operations, local law enforcement aims to decrease response times and increase the clearance rate for felony offenses. The data collected is encrypted and automatically deleted after a set period, adhering to strict transparency and security protocols. This initiative marks a significant step forward in the department’s commitment to using modern, data-driven solutions to protect the Tri-State area.

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The Urban Institute is hosting a specialized session focused on reducing jail populations through effective diversion and deflection strategies that prioritize both public safety and resource management. By highlighting successful models from Summit County, Ohio, and East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, the event explores how local jurisdictions can safely prevent unnecessary bookings for low-level offenses. These initiatives are designed to mitigate the high social costs of short-term incarceration, such as job loss and housing instability, which often contribute to recidivism.

For law enforcement, these programs offer a path to reduce the time spent on transport and processing, allowing officers to remain focused on high-priority community safety needs. Part of the Safety and Justice Challenge, this webinar provides data-driven insights into "right-sizing" jail use to improve system efficiency and community well-being. This session serves as a vital resource for agencies looking to balance firm enforcement with modern, cost-effective justice solutions.

Social Briefs: