FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mayor Ken McClure hosted Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas in a visit to Springfield, Friday, June 11. The two mayors offered a press availability after meeting with Springfield Police Major Tad Peters and touring Burrell's Behavioral Crisis Center. Lucas is interested in learning more about the collaboration between Springfield Police Department and Burrell Behavioral Health, specifically the new Rapid Access Treatment Unit.
The center is a crisis point for adults ages 18 and up who need immediate psychiatric care, treatment for opioid abuse, or intake for behavioral health services and is a partnership between Burrell and local county and city officials. The goal is to provide an alternative for already overloaded emergency rooms and jails, for someone who is a mental health crisis.
Police Chief Paul Williams, Springfield-Greene County Health Department Acting Director Katie Towns, and Greene County Presiding Commissioner Bob Dixon all support the innovative approach.
Mayors McClure and Lucas are part of a group of Missouri mayors working together to address violent crime. As Kansas City mayor, Lucas has prioritized making Kansas City’s neighborhoods safer. In Springfield, Mayor McClure and his colleagues on City Council have deemed public safety and quality of place as major priorities. Addressing crime is a specific focus.
###
For more information, please contact Cora Scott, director of Public Information & Civic Engagement for the City of Springfield at 417-380-3352 or [email protected], or Mayor Lucas’ Deputy Chief of Staff Morgan Said at [email protected]