New Responders Get Expanded Training at ACS
ALBUQUERQUE – Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) has launched its enhanced, 12-week training academy to prepare responders to help the community and address issues such as mental health, homelessness, crisis intervention, and substance use. Thirteen new recruits in ACS Academy Class 2025-01 have begun an intensive program designed to train them in the skills and knowledge needed to provide trauma-informed, holistic community support.
Previously an eight-week academy, the expanded 12-week program allows for more in-depth training in areas such as behavioral health, conflict resolution, and crisis intervention, ensuring that each Responder receives a more comprehensive instruction necessary to address complex public safety concerns.
“This expanded training program is a reflection of our commitment to providing the best possible support to both our Responders and the community,” said Karen Boise, ACS Organizational Growth and Community Relations Manager. “By extending the academy, we are ensuring that our team has even more specialized skills to effectively address the ever-evolving complex challenges they’ll encounter.”
Some of the additional training includes an 8-hour mental health first aid class provided by CNM Ingenuity, a 3-hour deaf cultural sensitivity training geared toward First Responders provided by Deaf Culture Center of New Mexico, and an Alzheimer’s First Responder Training provided the Alzheimer’s Association. Notably, the 40-hour WE CARE training, which uses actors to simulate real-life scenarios Responders may face, has been expanded to 80 hours to provide even more in-depth, hands-on learning experience.
“Albuquerque Community Safety continues to grow and adapt to meet the needs of our city,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “This department is the first of its kind in the nation, there is no road map from other cities to follow, so we’re charting a new course and extending training so our Responders are as prepared as possible for the calls they will see in our community.”
The addition of these new responders increases ACS’s capacity to handle more calls for service through 911 and 311. Since its inception, ACS has received over 95,000 calls, offering a compassionate alternative to traditional public safety responses for non-emergency situations. New Responders not only strengthen ACS’s commitment to providing exceptional care and support to our residents but also represents a significant continuous step forward in our ongoing mission to enhance public safety.
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ACS is the City of Albuquerque’s third branch of public safety. Responders take calls for service involving behavioral health, substance use, and other non-criminal and non-medical issues. Request an ACS Responder by calling 911 for emergencies and 311 for non-emergencies. Through April, ACS is offering its Emergency Overnight Shelter Transportation service from 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. If you are or know a member of the unhoused community that requires shelter from the cold, please contact ACS at 505-418-6178 to arrange transportation to a safe, warm location.