On a recent afternoon, Antoine Mosley was panhandling on Cerrillos Road when the city’s Alternative Response Unit arrived.
The unit includes a caseworker, a paramedic and a police officer who respond to low-threat 911 calls usually related to behavioral health issues. The unit members are trained in de-escalation techniques and often connect people in crisis with mental health and housing services.
Before the city created the unit earlier this year, first responders had three options: Take people to the emergency room, put them in jail or leave them. The ARU offers another option, and it seems to be working so far, city officials said.
After the unit left, Mosley said he felt much better having the ARU respond than law enforcement.
“When it’s police, I think, ‘Oh god, what have I done here?’ But with them, it’s not as threatening,” said Mosley, 52, who has been living on the streets of Santa Fe for over two years. “It’s a lot better.”