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Bill

S 4401

Establishes Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence and Escalation (ARRIVE) Together Program.

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Linda Greenstein and 3 co-sponsors

New Jersey establishes ARRIVE Together Program to deploy civilian crisis responders for non-violent emergency calls, potentially reducing police involvement in mental health and welfare situations.

Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee
#pubsafety
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Bill Summary · S 4401

Legislative bill overview

S 4401 establishes the ARRIVE Together Program in New Jersey, which creates an alternative emergency response system for non-violent calls. The program would dispatch specially trained civilian responders or mental health professionals instead of police officers for situations involving mental health crises, homelessness, welfare checks, and minor disturbances. This represents a shift toward crisis intervention and community-based response models.

Why is this important

As police departments face increased scrutiny over use-of-force incidents, several jurisdictions have piloted similar "co-responder" or "alternative response" models with mixed results. New Jersey's formalization of ARRIVE could serve as a statewide framework, potentially reducing police workload, lowering costs for certain call types, and improving outcomes for vulnerable populations—though implementation success depends heavily on funding, training standards, and clear protocols for when to escalate to police.

Potential points of contention

  • Funding and resource allocation: Establishing a parallel emergency response system requires significant upfront investment; unclear whether this supplements or redirects existing public safety budgets
  • Call screening and safety concerns: Determining which calls are truly "non-violent" is subjective; incorrect triage could put responders or civilians at risk if situations escalate unexpectedly
  • Police union and workforce implications: Law enforcement organizations may resist reducing officer deployments; concerns about job security and shifts in traditional policing roles could face resistance during implementation

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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