Public Safety: Smart, Effective Solutions for Carlisle
As Mayor of Carlisle, I’ve prioritized public safety through innovation, collaboration, and results-driven leadership. Our community deserves a public safety system that not only responds to emergencies but also prevents them—and that’s exactly what we’ve built.
The Co-Responder Program: A Proven Model for Crisis Response
Under my leadership, Carlisle became the first municipality in Cumberland County to launch a Community Co-Responder Program—a groundbreaking initiative that pairs a trained professional with our police department and other staff to respond to calls involving mental health, substance use, and housing crises.
This program is designed to:
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De-escalate situations safely and effectively
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Connect residents to critical services like counseling, treatment, and shelter
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Reduce repeat calls for service by addressing root causes
The results speak for themselves: over 300 clients served in about a year, fewer needed arrests, better outcomes for residents in crisis, and stronger trust between the community and our public safety teams.
Responsible Investment, Real Impact
We funded this initiative with $150,000 for two co-responders, all without raising taxes. It’s a smart investment that improves outcomes while keeping our budget balanced. That's two responders and better long-term results for the cost equivalent of a single uniformed officer. As we look to the future, the co-responder program will be used to better train our law enforcement officer in de-escalation and crisis intervention.
Leading with Innovation
Carlisle is setting the standard locally for public safety. Our police officers, EMS teams, and community partners have embraced this model—and other municipalities are now looking to follow our lead.