Briggs announces nearly $200,000 grant for Upper Merion PD
Rep. Tim Briggs December 11, 2025 | 10:21 AM
KING OF PRUSSIA, Dec. 11 – State Rep. Tim Briggs, D–Montgomery, today announced that Upper Merion Township has been awarded $197,301 from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to launch a new law enforcement–behavioral health co-responder program within the Upper Merion Police Department.
The program will improve how law enforcement responds to calls involving people experiencing mental or behavioral health crises. With this funding, UMPD will hire a full-time licensed behavioral health clinician to respond alongside officers, providing immediate support, crisis stabilization, and connections to ongoing care.
“This investment will make a real difference in how our community responds to people in crisis,” Briggs said. “By pairing law enforcement with behavioral health professionals, we can improve outcomes, reduce unnecessary arrests or hospitalizations, and strengthen trust between residents and police.”
Briggs, who serves as a commissioner on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, added: “PCCD does great work supporting community safety and innovation across the Commonwealth, and I’m especially proud to have supported this effort in my own district.”
The co-responder program will:
- Develop and implement protocols for crisis stabilization, referral, and follow-up care.
- Collect and analyze data to evaluate outcomes and strengthen services.
- Expand collaboration among law enforcement, hospitals, and behavioral health providers.
- Enhance community safety by reducing risks connected to firearm violence and suicide.
The initiative is expected to serve between 300 to 400 individuals each year, diverting many from arrest or emergency hospitalization and improving access to care.
“These funds will help Upper Merion take proactive, compassionate steps to address behavioral health crises in ways that keep both residents and officers safe,” Briggs said.
Funding was awarded through PCCD’s Safety and Community Investment Program, which supports local efforts to prevent violence, expand behavioral health resources, and promote community wellbeing.
Briggs represents the 149th Legislative District, which includes Bridgeport, West Conshohocken, Upper Merion, and parts of Lower Merion in Montgomery County.
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CONTACT: Ryan Bevitz
House Democratic Communications Office
Phone: 717-787-7895
Email: rbevitz@pahouse.net
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