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Bridging the <br />Gap Between <br />Law Enforcement <br />and Community <br />Support <br />Community Advocate Program <br />NYFS Community Advocate Joshua Grant has a unique and necessary <br />role in the communities we serve. He works with residents who have <br />been involved with local law enforcement but have needs that cannot <br />be sufficiently addressed by law enforcement alone. “Officers are on the <br />scene when there is a crisis, and we definitely need their help in those <br />moments,” he says. “But they are not trained or equipped to assess and <br />work on the issues that led up to the crisis point. Often these problems <br />are multi-layered and require long hours of work to rebuild trust and <br />help residents get and stay connected with additional support systems <br />in our community.” <br />Joshua works with individuals and families experiencing chronic mental <br />health issues, family instability, complex medical needs, chemical <br />dependency and other problems that require a high degree of care. <br />By addressing these underlying issues, the need for law enforcement <br />intervention is greatly reduced and officers are freed up to spend <br />more time on other <br />work while the <br />resident receives <br />the more intensive <br />support they need. <br />The Community Advocate Program currently serves the cities of Mounds <br />View, New Brighton, Roseville, St. Anthony and White Bear Lake and has <br />been well received by residents and law enforcement. <br />“We believe in the co-production of public safety,” says Tony Paetznick, <br />New Brighton Director of Public Safety. “We all have a role to play in <br />making our communities a better place to live and work.” <br />“Officers are on the scene <br />when there is a crisis, and <br />we definitely need their <br />help in those moments. <br />But they are not trained <br />or equipped to assess <br />and work on the issues <br />that led up to the crisis <br />point. Often these <br />problems are multi-layered <br />and require long hours <br />of work to rebuild trust <br />and help residents get <br />and stay connected with <br />additional support systems <br />in our community.” <br /> — Joshua Grant, <br /> NYFS Community <br /> Advocate <br />58WE HAVE HEART — 2021-2022 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY <br />compassion <br />trust&