Evidence-Based Public Safety: It's kind of a no-brainer

I talk about evidence-based practices all the time, probably an annoying amount. But it's SO IMPORTANT! And I am going to tell you why!

When making decisions, we have to ask ourselves, "Is that true, or does it feel true?" This is critical when trying to think outside the box and look at a problem from a different angle. We might think we know what works, because we've always done it that way. We might think we already know what will happen if we try something new - how people will react, what they will think or feel. But, is that true? Or does it feel true? And how do we know?

I will tell you how! Representation and data!

Representation

We won't know how a decision will impact people until we ask them. And there are many populations who are not getting asked—older adults, people with lower incomes, victims of crime and violence, people with disabilities, etc. So we have to proactively engage with them to get their perspectives. It would be easy for me to make broad, sweeping generalizations based on my personal observations, like "There are fewer public safety concerns in Ward 2 than in the other wards." Now, that may be true, but I don't know that it is. To know if it was true, I would need to look at... You guessed it... data!

Data

We can't just wing it on vibes. Or, we CAN, I guess, but it is a one-way ticket to inefficiency and ineffectiveness. Without data, we don't really know if we're accomplishing our goals, if the return on investment for a program or activity is worth it, or if the decision we're making has unintended consequences. Data allows us to be proactive and comprehensive rather than reactive and short-sighted.

I will give you an example. Numerous studies have proven that co-responder programs, where a mental health professional accompanies a law enforcement officer to calls involving folks experiencing mental health emergencies, improve outcomes, reduce police turnover and recidivism, and—wait for it—save local governments money. Lots of money, as it turns out. Unfortunately, with the city budget as tight as it is for 2026, it's difficult to decide where to put our scant resources. In his budget presentation to city council in September, Chief Johnson of Salida PD stated that Chaffee County is asking for $125,000 to fund the city's utilization of the program. While it is clear that Chief Johnson values the program from a human services perspective, he is proposing to only give the county $25,000 and "save" $100,000. But in the end, are we saving money? Or, are we missing out on significant cost savings in the long term?

The data says it is the latter. This graphic outlines, based on local, state, and national data, how much the city of Salida is estimated to save from arrests and emergency room visit costs.

This formula doesn't even take into account other potential cost savings in terms of reduced officer turnover (training someone is expensive)and reducing the time an officer has to spend on a call. The sooner they can return to their field duties, the more they can enforce other public safety issues—like motorists speeding or e-bikes riding too fast on the Monarch Spur Trail.

I understand why Chief Johnson is proposing less funding. I've run nonprofit organizations for years, and I know how stressful it is to make everyone happy and make difficult decisions about how to spend the minimal resources you have. But with data and research, it becomes clear that short-term cuts would come at the cost of longer-term, more sustainable cost savings.

This co-responder example is exactly what I mean when I say innovation and efficiency. We can implement proven programs to improve public safety in our community, support our law enforcement officers and reduce their stress and burnout, and expand their capacity to address other issues. It also happens to have the added benefit of improving outcomes for residents and ideally improving their chances of getting the resources they need. To me, it seems like a no-brainer.