Broomfield Co-Responder (BCORE)

The BPD first implemented a mental health co-responder program in 2018. Since that time the program has continued to evolve, now fielding dozens of calls a month. BCORE (Broomfield Co-Responder) is designed to provide individuals in crisis appropriate mental health services, which in turn prevents unnecessary incarcerations.

The program has been overseen by BPD Commander Kurt Wederquist since 2019. The clinicians on the team are not police department employees, but instead are contracted through a partnership with the Community Reach Center. In total, BCORE is staffed with one program manager, and two clinicians who both work four, 10-hour days a week. A mental health clinician is available for call-out seven days a week from 10 am to 8 pm.

On average BCORE answers around 80 calls a month. Some of those calls are clinicians responding to a call for service with a Broomfield Police Officer, while others are follow-up calls with individuals. For reference, in October of 2021 the police department took 4,827 calls for service, 44 of which were mental health calls. 

The clinicians work out of the Broomfield Health and Human Services building, and are dispatched to calls when needed in their own vehicles. When a resident calls police, an officer does an assessment to determine if a clinician should respond as well (once the scene is safe). Calls for mental health can also come in from friends, family, community members, or are even sometimes self-reported