SEATTLE — Mayor Bruce Harrell has announced a proposal for the 2026 budget that would double the staffing for the city’s mental health and addiction response team, who also do outreach on the street for homeless individuals.
The Community Assisted Response and Engagement, or “CARE” Department, was created by Harrell in October of 2023. Its goal was to put compassion at the forefront and let police stick to high-priority calls.
“Our approach prioritizes treatment and recovery over criminalization, creating pathways out of crisis,” said Harrell at a press conference on Thursday…