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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Lieutenant Andrew Wolcott #976 - Aurora Police Department
DATE: January 2nd, 2024
SUBJECT:
Resolution authorizing the execution of a service agreement between the City of Aurora, and Family Services Association of Elgin Illinois in support of the Aurora Police Department Crisis Intervention Unit for the period of January of 2024 through June of 2025.
PURPOSE:
To obtain the City Council’s approval of a proposed resolution that would authorize the Director of Purchasing to enter into a service agreement with the Family Services Association of Elgin (FSA) for contracted social worker services needed as part of the Aurora Police Department Crisis Intervention Unit.
BACKGROUND:
The Aurora Police Department understands that many police interactions with citizens in crisis include a substantial mental health component which must be addressed for the safety of the police officer and the citizen. The Aurora Police Department also knows that incidents often occur where a citizen in crisis may display behaviors otherwise considered criminal in nature, but for which an enforcement intervention is not the proper strategy. For these and other reasons, the Aurora Police Department endeavored to adopt a police/social worker co-response model wherein highly trained police officers are paired with highly trained mental healthcare providers to provide crisis intervention in a safe and meaningful way.
The Aurora Police Department has been working in partnership with the FSA for several years, and has constructed a Crisis Intervention Unit which focuses on in-progress and post-incident care for the citizens of Aurora who find themselves in a mental health crisis and also often interact with police. This model provides safety for the citizen, the social worker, and the officer, while utilizing approaches to mental health interventions aimed at the care of the citizen-patient versus traditional police enforcement tactics.
An agreement was previously approved for 2022-2023 between FSA and the City of Aurora, Resolution #23-217
DISCUSSION:
The Aurora Police Department intends enter into a service agreement with the FSA to continue our partnership in crisis intervention in the City of Aurora with an eye toward outreach and expansion of services.
The Aurora Police Department has obtained partial funding for this program through a Department of Justice Grant which was previously reviewed and accepted by the City Council (Resolution R23-184) and through operational funding approved in the 2024 budget.
Funding for this service agreement will be paid out of accounts 101-3536-421.50-50 and 215-3536-421.50-50.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
The FSA and Aurora Police Department partnership in this co-response model has been a tremendous success. Continued funding through this service agreement is necessary to continue this relationship and to begin working toward the enhancement and expansion of this program.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
We respectfully recommend that the Aurora City Council grant approval to enter into a service agreement with the Family Services Association of Elgin.
cc: Finance Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution authorizing the execution of a service agreement between the City of Aurora, and Family Services Association of Elgin Illinois in support of the Aurora Police Department Crisis Intervention Unit for the period of January of 2024 through June of 2025.
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has been awarded a grant from the Department of Justice to be used to enhance the Crisis Intervention Unit for the Aurora Police Department: and
WHEREAS, the Family Service Association of Elgin has been selected to partner with the Aurora Police Department by providing mental health clinicians to the Aurora Police Department; and
WHEREAS, the grant requires that Family Services Association of Elgin Illinois and the City of Aurora have an agreement, and:
WHEREAS, the City of Aurora's grant award, is budgeted in revenue account 101-3536-331.02-01 and expense account 101-3536-421.50-50; and
WHEREAS, additional funding is available and budgeted to support this program in expense account 215-3536-421.50-50;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: finds as facts all of the preamble recitals of this Resolution and hereby authorizes the Director of Purchasing to execute a service agreement between the City of Aurora, and Family Services Association of Elgin Illinois in support of the Aurora Police Department Crisis Intervention Unit as described in Exhibit A.