Burnsville Police Announce New Unit To Launch in 2021

BURNSVILLE, MN—Community Engagement and Mental Health: Burnsville police will launch a new unit in 2021. The unit will focus on community relations and supporting residents with mental health challenges. Officers were already involved in community relationship building, but the unit will have the added responsibility to proactively addressing mental health related calls.

The officers in the unit will follow-up with those individuals suffering from mental illness that regularly interact with police and/or firefighters.

The officers in the Burnsville unit plan to partner with Dakota County Crisis and other professionals in the mental health industry to provide appropriate treatment options.

"To support residents and businesses throughout the challenges of this year, Burnsville Police Officers and Firefighters spread community cheer, even as they faced the developments and guidelines created to address COVID-19," the police department wrote of the work done in 2020.

Some of the activities in 2020 included birthday drive-by parades, sidewalk chalk messages, special deliveries, and a sidewalk dance party.