Keeping our CommunitY Safe

Providing Law Enforcement with the Tools They Need to Ensure the Safety of our Communities is Paramount. Providing law enforcement with the tools and funding they need to keep our cities and unincorporated communities safe is critical. As a former Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Honolulu, Supervisor Andersen believes that the County must continue to provide the resources needed so that criminals will be prosecuted and victims protected.

Alternatives to Police in a Mental Health Crisis It is not necessary to “defund the police” in order for us to improve the response to someone in a mental health crisis. Supervisor Andersen strongly advocated for the County’s development of the A3 Program, a system where anyone in Contra Costa County can access timely and appropriate behavioral health crisis services anywhere, at anytime. It includes the formation of the Miles Hall Hub — a high-tech call center, which will be open at all times and staffed by both licensed and peer staff who will answer calls, triage the situation and dispatch an appropriate team, which may or may not include law enforcement, to respond. It is named for Miles Hall, a young man who tragically lost his life during a confrontation with police during a mental health episode. To learn more about Contra Costa’s A3 - Mile Halls Hub Pilot that is underway, please go here.

Supervisor Andersen also advocated for and ensured that $720,000 of Measure X funding went to San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District’s Behavioral Health Crisis Response Pilot Program. Rather than sending a police officer to every instance of someone in a mental health crisis, trained firefighters/paramedics will be the first to respond.

Addressing Racial Disparities Supervisor Andersen also recognizes that racial disparities exist in our Contra Costa County justice system. There are a disproportionate number of people of color prosecuted and incarcerated, and far fewer sitting on our juries. She strongly supported the formation of the County’s Racial Justice Task Force and the implementation of its recommendations. More information about the task force and its recommendations can be found here.

Preventing Gun Violence Our children should not go to school fearing for their lives. Supervisor Andersen facilitated a presentation about the Sandy Hook Promise to the Board of Supervisors and advocated for the Board’s passing of a resolution supporting it. She has encouraged school districts within the County to adopt its initiatives that encourage Mental Health & Wellness Programs to identify, intervene and help at-risk individuals. It also encourages gun safety practices to ensure that firearms are kept safe and secure.

Zero Tolerance for Domestic Violence Supervisor Andersen continues to be a staunch advocate of the County's Zero Tolerance for Domestic Violence, recently renamed as the Contra Costa Alliance to End Abuse and a strong supporter of the creation of Family Justice Centers throughout the County. She is an active supporter of the County’s “No More” campaign, which is similar but started several years before the #MeToo movement.

Fire and Emergency Medical Services As a Board Member of the Contra Costa Fire Protection District and working closely with the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District and Moraga Orinda Fire Protection District Supervisor Andersen is working to ensure that we have the appropriate fire and emergency medical response needed in each of our communities.

She advocated for the rebuilding of Fire Station 16 in Lafayette, year, which was completed in 2019, providing additional fire and emergency medical services (EMS) coverage for District 2 and the entire County.

Supervisor Andersen has also supported the efforts to create Fire-Wise Communities, and reduce the risk of wildland fires in our hillside communities by removing brush and other fuel for those fires.

Stopping the MENTALLY ILL FROM CYCLING THROUGH OUR Jails

Supervisor Andersen introduced the adoption of the Stepping up Initiative in Contra Costa County. County departments are working together to provide the mentally ill with the medical and psychiatric help needed to help reduce them from repeatedly being arrested and incarcerated for committing minor crimes.

Supervisor Andersen also led the implementation of Laura’s Law, or Assisted Outpatient Treatment in Contra Costa County, helping the severely mentally ill who reject the mental health treatment they need.

In 2022 Supervisor Andersen applied for and the County received acceptance to participate in the National Association of Counties Familiar Faces initiative.  This is a national effort to improve outcomes through coordinated health and justice systems, and better serve high-needs residents through integrated systems of care.