Handle with Care Initiative

The Erie County Handle with Care Initiative is a collaborative effort between Erie County Central Police Services and Law Enforcement to aid law enforcement officers during interactions with individuals with mental illness or diseases that affect their cognitive ability and communication.

The initiative uses voluntarily provided information and existing computer systems to improve the quality of police response to calls involving vulnerable populations.

The goal of the initiative is to proactively provide law enforcement officers with relevant information to help de-escalate the situation and increase the likelihood of positive outcomes when engaged with someone experiencing a mental health crisis.