Pasco’s Hot Spotters help for the homeless earns the city a statewide honor

The city of Pasco is being honored for Hot Spotters, a community partnership that addresses crime by helping homeless residents with mental health and substance abuse issues.

The city is one of five honored with the 2019 Municipal Excellence Award, given by the Association of Washington Cities to recognize projects that enhance the quality of life for residents.

Hot Spotters brings resources such as housing assistance, legal counsel and mental health professionals to people who are the most likely to have negative encounters with police, including arrests and use of force with them.

The team includes first responders, the legal community, judges, mental health counselors, healthcare providers, housing advocates and others, who work to stabilize clients and the community.

The program includes embedding mental health professionals in the police department and finding housing for people in crisis.

Since 2016, Hot Spotters participants have been contacted by law enforcement 124 times, with no resulting use of force or arrest.

Pasco will be honored at AWC’s annual meeting in Spokane in June.