Beyond 911: ACS Opens Nation’s First Alternative Community Safety HQ
Learn more about Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS), including their new nation-leading headquarters.
by Kristin Satterlee
On May 6, 2024, Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) cut the ribbon on a modern, rust-colored building on San Mateo in the International District—and Albuquerque became the first city in the United States to have an alternative response team with its own headquarters. Other cities, both within New Mexico (Hobbs) and outside (Denver and Sacramento) have come calling, wanting to learn how they can follow in Albuquerque’s footsteps. But what is ACS, and what difference is it making in the lives of Burqueños?
Alternative community safety
Albuquerque Community Safety is a new way for the city to respond to 911 calls. Like police officers, firefighters, and EMTs, ACS responders are considered “first responders,” and depending on the situation, they may be sent out when you dial 911.
ACS responders carry no weapons. Walter G. Adams Jr, community safety mental and behavioral health division manager and ACS responder, says at first they weren’t even sure what kit to carry in their cars. “Narcan, fire extinguishers, AEDs [defibrillators for heart attacks]… that’s what we’ve evolved to.” ACS responders are not law enforcement officers and are not sent to violent or life-threatening situations.
Who are ACS responders?
When 911 dispatches ACS, they are sending out professionals with backgrounds in social services and behavioral health, including former teachers, police officers, and social workers. They mostly respond to situations involving mental health, homelessness, and substance use, and their goal is to de-escalate the situation and get help to those who need it.
“Our responders go out every day, and they’re going to get to know that person, and help that person,” says Adams. Eleven percent of ACS calls end with the responder transporting someone to the hospital or another service provider who can help with medical issues, housing, and more.
Built from the ground up
ACS now has a hundred employees, a shiny new headquarters, and 24/7 dispatching direct from 911, but it wasn’t always this way. When the department got off the ground in 2021, it had only 10 employees and one response team, so could offer only limited availability. As the department grew, it expanded its hours, introducing a swing shift in 2021 and starting round-the-clock service in August 2023.
It took time for the department to get integrated into the 911 system, as well. At first, police dispatchers were hesitant to endanger unarmed community safety responders by sending them on calls. ACS has overcome this initial obstacle: In its two and a half years of operations, the department has responded to more than 75,000 calls for service that otherwise would have gone to the police or fire departments.
The sky’s the limit
Adams sees the department continuing to expand, and with good reason. ACS already has 30 more positions in the budget, and will expand into the Southwest Safety Center when it opens near 98th and Rio Bravo in 2025. “We’ll always maintain the quality element, but we need 2 or 3 times as many people,” he says.