Voters in Allentown, Pennsylvania, will decide in Nov. 2023 on a citizen-initiated ballot measure that would create the Mobile Community Responder Pilot Program (MCRPP). The program would be designed as an alternative first response to various types of calls related to mental and behavioral health, substance use, welfare checks, family and neighbor disputes, issues related to unhoused persons, and suspicious persons.
The initiative was placed on the ballot through a citizen initiative petition after the Allentown City Council rejected the proposal.
The initiative would require an allocation of $4.08 million and the issuance of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for public or private vendor agencies to provide services for the pilot program. The city would need to issue the RFP by January 31, 2024.
