The Denver City Council approved a $2.1 million grant agreement with the Caring for Denver Foundation to continue funding the Denver Police Department's (DPD) Co-Responder Program. This program pairs 33 licensed mental health clinicians with first responders—including police, fire, and sheriff departments—to address 911 calls involving individuals in behavioral or mental health crises. The program, known as the Crisis Intervention Response Unit (CIRU), aims to de-escalate situations, divert individuals from the criminal justice and emergency medical systems, and connect them with appropriate community-based care and resources. Since its inception in 2016, the CIRU has expanded to include partnerships with various city departments and has responded to over 47,000 calls for service with less than 1.5% resulting in arrest or citation. The grant funding will support the program's operations through November 2026.