CARES Pilot Program: Madison Officials Seeking Feedback

MADISON, WI—The City of Madison is looking for public feedback regarding its new public safety pilot program called CARES or Community Alternative Response for Emergency Services.

The session is scheduled for 7 p.m. on June 22 and will include a presentation on outlining CARES in hopes of gaining residents’ feedback, according to a press release. The information safety session is virtual and open to the public.

Modeled after similar public safety alternative programs like CAHOOTS in Eugene, Oregon and STAR in Denver, the CARES team would consist of a community paramedic and a crisis worker. The team would “undertake continuous education for cultural competency and deescalation best practices” along with professional development, according to the press release.

In Eugene, the CAHOOTS team intervenes with issues like mental health crises, suicide threats, substance abuse, welfare checks and conflict resolution. The teams do not carry weapons or have the same authority as police.

The program comes amid a push for public safety alternatives to traditional policing. In Madison, groups like the Community Response Team and public figures, such as District 8 Alder-Elect Juliana Bennett, have been advocating for alternative public safety models.

This type of program even made its way into the national spotlight, when the CAHOOTS Act was introduced in the House of Representatives in August.