North Austin News

Representative John Carter announced the allocation of $748,000 for the Copperas Cove Police Department's Mental Health Response Team. This funding is part of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill recently signed into law.

"As a former judge, I witnessed firsthand the added stress on police officers to respond to mental health crisis calls," said Representative Carter. "Having a trained team to respond to these difficult calls will help Copperas Cove residents suffering in crisis get the help they need and keep officers focused on community safety. I applaud Chief Wilson and Mayor Yancey for their vision and partnership to get this done. I think the citizens of Copperas Cove will greatly benefit from this responsible use of federal tax dollars."

Copperas Cove Police Chief Eddie Wilson emphasized the increasing demands on police officers: "The demand on police officers continues to increase along with the need for a wider skill set to meet all community expectations. With a lack of available mental health resources, our officers have become the primary first responders to a mental health crisis. Police officers are not licensed clinicians but are mandated to make mental health-related decisions with minimal training and experience. Most communities like Copperas Cove lack the funding and resources to appropriately manage the increasing number of mental health-related calls for service."

Wilson highlighted previous unsuccessful attempts at securing similar grants: "Numerous attempts for similar grants have failed in previous years. This grant will serve as the single largest amount of funding ever received by the Copperas Cove Police Department and would not have been possible without the help of Congressman Carter's Office. I speak for the Copperas Cove community when I say we're truly grateful for the support received from Congressman Carter and his incredible team. I can assure this funding will be put to great use."

Mayor Dan Yancey also expressed gratitude: "On behalf of myself and the entire Copperas Cove City Council, we express sincere gratitude and appreciation for this amazing grant opportunity which has been bestowed by Congressman Carter’s Office. Annual budgeting for municipalities has become routinely challenging as we attempt to balance available financial resources with increasing community needs and expectations."

Yancey added that this grant would significantly enhance local mental health resources: "Approval and awarding of this monumental $748,000 grant will provide an amazing pathway to necessary mental health resources to better allow the City of Copperas Cove and the Copperas Cove Police Department serve those in our community. We are appreciative of the allocation and thankful for the opportunity to better serve our citizens, thank you.”