Left to Right: Morristown Lt. Chris Oakley, Officer Richard Rispoli, Director of Public Safety Michael Corcoran, Morristown Mayor Timothy Dougherty, Morristown Chief of Police Darnell Richardson, MHA Clinical Co-Responder Adam Weckenmann, MHA Program Director Deanna Ackerman, MCPO Chief Assistant Prosecutor Meg Rodriguez; MHA Chief Executive Officer Bob Davison
Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, Morristown Police Chief Darnell Richardson, Madison Police Chief John Miscia, Morris Plains Police Chief Michael Koroski, and Morris Township Police Chief Robert Shearer announce the following:
This week, the Police Departments of Madison, Morristown, Morris Township and Morris Plains launched Morris County’s regional ARRIVE pilot program, coordinated through the Morris County Prosecutors Office. Partnering with the Mental Health Association of Morris & Essex Counties, the ARRIVE Together program (Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence & Escalation) seeks to help police de-escalate situations, provide immediate support to individuals in crisis and ensure the safety of both the community and the responding officers. Funding for the programming is being provided through a statewide grant.
This is one of two ARRIVE pilot programs that will be running in Morris County. The second pilot program includes Denville, Montville, Parsippany and Roxbury, and is expected to formally launch full-time during the week of March 18, 2024. Clinicians from the Mental Health Association (MHA) have been meeting with all eight towns to introduce themselves and the services that will be provided to offer assistance to adults and juveniles in crisis situations. The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office will work towards expanding the program throughout the entire county to enhance law enforcement’s responses to those in need.
Prosecutor Carroll said, “I praise the efforts of the NJ Attorney General’s Office ARRIVE initiative, the Essex and Morris County Mental Health Association, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, the Morris County Police Chiefs Association, and especially our municipal governments, police chiefs and their departments, for their tireless efforts to install new thinking and methods into our police and community relations efforts. The now-proven ARRIVE model is being embraced within Morris County. We are all enthusiastic about its promise of addressing law enforcement interactions among, and with, citizens with enhanced understanding and safety through progressive MHA/Police mutual response methods and de-scalation techniques. I wish to especially commend the tireless efforts of MCPO Chief Assistant Prosecutor Meg Rodriquez, MHA Director Deanna Ackermann, MHA CEO Bob Davison, our municipal police chiefs, and Sheriff Gannon for all their efforts in supporting this exciting new program in Morris County. We look forward to expanding the program as it develops further.”