Gwinnett Police Chief Seeks Funds to Extend Mental Health Crisis Team Hours

Gwinnett County Police Chief J.D. McClure is pushing for additional funding to expand the department's behavioral health unit, which pairs officers with licensed clinicians to respond to mental health crisis calls. Currently, the unit only operates until 11 p.m., leaving a gap during late-night hours when many crisis calls come in without a clinician available. McClure told County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson and budget planning committee members that his department needs two additional mental health clinicians, which would bring the total to nine response teams and extend coverage until 2 a.m. According to McClure, the behavioral health unit flagged more than 250 crisis calls in 2025 alone that occurred during the hours the unit currently can't cover. He noted that when these specialized teams respond, they can take over evaluation and transportation duties, freeing up fire and emergency crews to return to other calls faster. The chief emphasized that 99% of people the teams encountered in 2025 avoided arrest, arguing that incarceration isn't a solution for mental health crises. The two clinician positions would cost roughly $126,000 under a contract arrangement. No funding decision was made at the recent hearing. Hendrickson is expected to release her proposed budget in November, with county commissioners required to adopt a final budget by January.