TRENTON – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, the Office of Alternative and Community Responses, and the Office of Justice Data announced today the launch of a new comprehensive public dashboard for the ARRIVE (Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence and Escalation) Together program.

Since December of 2021, there have been nearly 2,800 ARRIVE Together interactions. The new dashboard is designed to provide the public with critical information related to the impactful work being done by ARRIVE Together teams across the state.

The ARRIVE Together Dashboard is an innovative new platform that marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the ARRIVE Together program, a partnership between mental health professionals, law enforcement, and the community. It is designed to provide mental health services and support to individuals experiencing a mental health emergency or in need of mental health or behavioral health services. The program models include co-response, follow-up, telehealth and affirmative outreach efforts.

From its inception, ARRIVE Together has been a community-informed program developed in accordance with each community’s unique needs. The new dashboard allows the public to see the important work being done through ARRIVE Together, the program’s impact across the state, and ensures data-driven decision-making as the program grows.

“With Gov. Murphy’s and the Legislature’s continued commitment and financial support, we’ve proudly pioneered the nation’s first statewide alternative response program,” Platkin said in a release. “Now, our new public dashboard enhances transparency and provides crucial insights into the life-saving work that our ARRIVE Together teams perform each day. The ARRIVE Together Dashboard provides valuable information to the public on the program, and essential data that will allow us to continue to tailor the program to meet the needs of each community.”

Information includes the nature of the initial 911 call for co-response teams, information relating to the teams’ follow-up and affirmative outreach efforts, reported outcomes arising out of each ARRIVE Together interaction, observed behaviors of those involved in ARRIVE Together encounters, and certain demographic information of the individuals involved.

“The launch of the new dashboard is a significant leap forward in our commitment to data-driven public safety solutions,” said Tiffany Wilson, director of the Office of Alternative and Community Responses. “This platform will provide insight into how ARRIVE Together is doing on its goal to improve interactions and build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. The dashboard will also allow us to share what we are learning with the public and others interested in this transformational work, and to build on what we learn for future expansions of ARRIVE Together and other alternative response programs.”

Originally piloted in December 2021 as a co-response program with the New Jersey State Police in Cumberland County in partnership with the Cumberland County Guidance Center, ARRIVE Together has rapidly expanded its footprint across the State using a variety of models, designed in partnership with the community to match community needs and resources.

Today, ARRIVE Together programs operate in every county in New Jersey, serving almost half of the state’s population. In the two years that the program has been operating in New Jersey, there have been no arrests as a result of an ARRIVE interaction, a dramatic reduction to the use of force, increased utilization of mental health services, and an elimination of racial disparities across outcomes.

To learn more about the ARRIVE Together program and the current models operating across the state, see https://www.njoag.gov/programs/arrive-together/

Categories: Downbeach

Nanette LoBiondo Galloway

Award winning journalist covering news, events and people of Atlantic County for more than 20 years.