Bennet, Crow Reintroduce Legislation to Support Law Enforcement and Strengthen Community Policing During National Mental Health Awareness Month

May 27, 2026 | Press Releases

Denver - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and U.S. Representative Jason Crow reintroduced the Supporting Mental Assistance Responder Teams (SMART) Community Policing Act during National Mental Health Awareness Month.

The legislation would provide dedicated funds for collaborative partnerships between law enforcement, health professionals, case managers, and outreach teams to improve public safety and connect people with mental health services and community resources. Instead of treating situations primarily as criminal matters, the goal is to stabilize the person, reduce escalation, and connect them with care.

"Too often, people experiencing a mental health crisis end up in situations that escalate because they are not getting the care and support they need," said Bennet. "Law enforcement agencies across Colorado are partnering with behavioral health specialists to help de-escalate crises, connect people to treatment and long-term support, and ensure individuals receive the help they need in the moment. This legislation builds on that approach so that communities across the country can better respond to mental health crises while strengthening public safety."

"Effective policing relies on building trust within communities," said Crow. "Our legislation, drawing on the state of Colorado's leadership, supports local law enforcement and expands community policing efforts nationwide. I'm glad to partner with Senator Bennet to better protect our communities, improve public safety, and connect people with life-saving mental health, substance use, and other life-saving services."

Public safety in Colorado and across the country demands a comprehensive response. Mental assistance responder teams play a critical role in partnering with law enforcement and emergency responders to connect at-risk individuals with resources, prevent crime, and improve public safety. Mobile crisis teams, co-responder units, and case managers are vital to these efforts. They engage people experiencing crises related to mental health, poverty, homelessness, or substance use disorders to de-escalate challenging situations and connect them to services. The mental assistance responder teams reduce the strain on law enforcement and allow safety departments to focus on violent crimes. Studies confirm this approach yields better public safety outcomes while conserving limited resources.

Specifically, the SMART Community Policing Act would create or expand programs that:

• Pair a mental health clinician with a paramedic or emergency medical technician (EMT) to respond to certain low-risk calls to the 911 system;
• Train crisis workers to respond to calls for service and help stabilize encounters;
• Provide mental health services for persons, including those in crisis who may need further evaluation and treatment;
• Stabilize encounters between law enforcement officers and people experiencing behavioral health crises and connect them with appropriate support programs; and
• Build case management and outreach teams to follow up with people to develop specific solutions to reduce repeat interactions with emergency services.

"By combining the skills of highly trained Police Officers with mental health clinicians we are able to provide a safer environment to address the needs of an individual experiencing a mental health crisis," said Matt Smith, Chief of Police, Grand Junction Police Department. "This collaborative effort allows many individuals to get resources at home or the most appropriate treatment facility for their individual needs."

"The SMART Community Policing Act supports programs that emphasize training, partnerships, and community-based solutions that strengthen both public safety and behavioral health response capabilities and helps ensure that co-responder programs have the long-term support and resources necessary to continue providing these critical services to the community," said Ryan Kenney, Police Chief, Vail Police Department. "The SMART Community Policing Act strengthens the Eagle County co-responder program's ability to address behavioral health and mental health crises. Individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis benefit from trained professionals who can recognize, assess, and respond to their specific needs. The co-responder model has helped reduce unnecessary law enforcement involvement in behavioral health incidents while allowing officers to remain focused on core public safety responsibilities."

"Our co-responder program has been integral to keeping our communities safe," said Sean Smith, Sheriff, La Plata County. "Having behavioral health clinicians to help respond in difficult cases not only helps my deputies - it ensures that those in crisis get the resources and support they need. I'm glad to see Senator Bennet working to provide critical funding for specialty teams like ours."

"Because we have witnessed the measurable success of these programs on a local scale, the City of Alamosa strongly advocates for the dedicated federal funding and framework provided by the SMART Community Policing Act. We stand as a testament to the fact that this model works, and we urge its full passage and widespread adoption," said George Dingfelder, Chief of Police, Alamosa Police Department. "Our local efforts have proven that meeting mental and behavioral health crises with resource-based, specialized care yields better outcomes. This approach effectively de-escalates high-stress situations, connects vulnerable or at-risk individuals with long-term stabilization services, and significantly reduces the strain on our emergency infrastructure. Most importantly, it allows our law enforcement officers to dedicate their time and focus to protecting public safety and addressing violent crime."

Bennet originally introduced the SMART Community Policing Act in July 2022. In May of the same year, Bennet requested increased funding for the Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program. The COPS Program provides funding directly to law enforcement agencies across the country to hire additional police officers to strengthen community policing and crime prevention efforts, which includes expanding crisis intervention teams.

The text of the bill is available HERE. A summary of the bill is available HERE. A letter of support from the Alamosa Police Department can be found HERE.

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