Bucks county is seeking to expand its innovative CO-responder program to more effectively address homelessness, squatting, and behavioral health crises within parks and public lands

The Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Program awarded the County of Bucks $175,000 on October 1, 2025, under the Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants program (CFDA 16.710) to expand its co-responder program addressing homelessness, squatting, and behavioral health crises in parks and public lands.

The County will integrate a dedicated social service professional, termed a specialized outreach-responder, within the County Park Police Department to provide on-site support and connect individuals to housing, mental health care, substance use treatment, and other essential services. The project also funds comprehensive training for law enforcement and park police in trauma-informed care, de-escalation, behavioral health awareness, and best practices for engaging with individuals experiencing homelessness, with the goal of improving crisis outcomes and reducing enforcement-based interventions.

The County of Bucks, operating through its Office of the Controller in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, serves as the recipient. The period of performance runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. Place of performance is Doylestown, PA 18901.

This expansion aims to enhance community safety while prioritizing compassionate, service-oriented responses to vulnerable populations. A central component of the project is the integration of a dedicated social service professional (specialized outreach-responder) within the county park police department. The specialized outreach-responder will offer on-site support and serve as a critical bridge to housing, mental health care, substance use treatment, and other essential services. The initiative will also advance comprehensive training for law enforcement and park police, focusing on trauma-informed care, DE-escalation, behavioral health awareness, and best practices for engaging with individuals experiencing homelessness. This training will help improve outcomes during crisis encounters and reduce reliance on enforcement-based interventions. By integrating mental health expertise within public safety operations and fostering strong community partnerships, this program expansion seeks to create a scalable, evidence-informed model for addressing homelessness and in a compassionate and effective manner.