Marcus Alert System: Bridging the Gap Between Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice in Virginia Cities

In a bid to improve mental health crisis responses, Arlington County has introduced the Marcus Alert System. This system is designed to provide a more tailored and effective response when someone calls 911 for help. The new system coordinates communication between the 911 call center, the regional crisis center, and law enforcement to enhance services for individuals facing a mental health, substance abuse, or developmental disability crisis. The Marcus Alert System is also being implemented in Prince William, Loudoun, and Fairfax counties.

Named after Marcus-David Peters, a Black biology teacher who was killed by police in Richmond in 2018 during a mental health crisis, the Marcus Alert System aims to ensure equitable access to behavioral health resources for all individuals. Tiffany Jones, the Arlington County Marcus Alert coordinator, emphasized the need for this system to bridge gaps between the behavioral health and criminal justice systems. In 2020, Virginia passed a law requiring localities to establish protocols to improve responses to mental health calls.

Emergency call takers have received special training on mental health and psychotic disorders, as well as de-escalation tactics to handle crisis situations appropriately. The goal of this training is to increase the chances that individuals in crisis receive a compassionate behavioral health response rather than a law enforcement response. All cities and towns in Virginia with over 40,000 residents are mandated to have the Marcus Alert System in place by 2028.