Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari and County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2) highlighted the success of the ARRIVE Together program, indicating that they’d like to see it implemented countywide.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
The ARRIVE Together initiative pairs law enforcement officers trained in crisis de-escalation techniques with a mental health specialist to respond to calls involving behavioral health incidents.
Schillari explained that the program was first rolled out in Bayonne after several incidents where mentally ill individuals were fatally shot. The program was implemented there in May 2023.
“I was very honored they came to me. There are a lot of people suffering from mental illness. We have to help the people that can’t help themselves,” the sheriff said at a press conference at Hudson Plaza, 257 Cornelison Ave., this morning.
He also noted the sheriff’s office has trained 24 officers to work with mental health specialists.
“Our officers are also trained in de-escalation. We constantly train our officers under the guidelines of the attorney general,” Schillari stated.
He explained that in 2023, they had 82 calls for service where a plain clothes officer from the county went with a medical professional after getting notified by city police.
In 2023, 27 people were driven to the hospital, and there were no arrests or shootings.
Then last year, there were 135 calls for service, 58 hospital runs, 3 arrests, and zero fatalities. And thus far in 2025, there have been 27 calls answered, seven people transported to the hospital, as well as zero shootings and fatalities, Schillari explained.
“This program has been very successful. Our agreement expires at the end of June. So hopefully they’ll renew the program. This program should be put into place countywide,” Schillari said.
O’Dea, also a Jersey City mayoral candidate, commended the program, which was announced for the city in October.
“It saves the lives of those who suffer from mental illness … Not overreacting to situations saves lives. It can save the lives of the officers and it can save the lives of those who suffer from mental illness,” O’Dea said.
“A few months ago, Jersey City also started an Arrive Together. Sadly, it was after the tragic death of Andrew Washington. A lot of lessons were learned from that tragic loss. But we continue to now improve even on those services.”
Coincidentally, O’Dea’s remarks came just a couple of hours before the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office announced that a state grand jury declined to charge the officer who fatally shot Washington, as HCV first reported.
Hudson County Commissioner Bob Baselice (D-8), a former chief of staff for Schillari, joined in stating that ARRIVE Together is a very commendable program.
“This is better for the individual. It’s better for the families. It’s better for law enforcement. The program should be expanded. We should get additional money,” he said.
“This is truly a monumental time of how we change the thinking of how we deal with law enforcement in the future.”
Schillari noted it’s critical in heated situations where quick decisions need to be made, while O’Dea pointed out that the mental health professionals are from the Jersey City Medical Center, funded by a state grant.
“It’s important that we are training our officers, we are always learning, and we’re always updated on services on the newest that we can offer to residents and how we can be more helpful to our residents,” added Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley.
“There have been incidents in the past. We have to learn from those things … We have to do better. Mental illness is a real thing … Anything we can do to expand this program is more than welcome.”
She was not the only Jersey City council member to endorse the program.
“This is truly important right here … No one wants to take pride in taking someone’s life,” began Ward F Councilman Frank “Educational” Gilmore, who endorsed Schillari’s opponent, Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis, last week.
“I know we’ve been pushing in Jersey City to have this five, six days a week. You can’t plan a mental episode. It just happens.”
O’Dea agreed that mental health episodes are unpredictable
“Some places you need it more at the end of the month … they don’t have the financial means to get through the last couple days of the month,” he stated.
