GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — The police chief of Gwinnett County is asking for more money for the department’s behavioral health unit.
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They say hundreds of crisis calls come in when no clinician is on the clock.
Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson reports the chief wants more people out later at night.
This is a unit that the chief has championed for years - so much so that now he says he needs more people on it for people in crisis late at night when they need help the most.
“Over many years, unfortunately officers didn’t have very many tools at their disposals,” Gwinnett County Police Chief J.D. McClure said.
The department pairs officers with licensed clinicians to keep a mental health crisis from turning violent but only until 11 p.m.
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McClure brought that limit to Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson and four residents helping plan the 2027 budget.
“We’re requesting two mental health clinicians, which will allow us to expand coverage of our behavioral health unit,” he said.
That would make nine teams and keep them working until 2 a.m.
“In 2025 alone, our behavioral health unit identified over 250 crisis calls during those hours where the BHU team could have responded,” McClure said.
The two clinicians would work on contract at a cost of about $126,000.
Hendrickson presents her proposed budget in November, and commissioners must adopt one in January.
McClure says the later hours would also help other first responders on psychiatric and suicide calls.
“Our co-responder teams once on scene can assume responsibility for evaluation and even transportation, allowing fire and emergency services to return to service,” he said.
In 2025 the chief says 99% of the people those teams met avoided arrest.
“We recognize we’re not going to arrest our way out of mental health issues,” McClure said..
No decision was made at the budget hearing. That’s a decision for commissioners by next year.
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