Office of Alternative and Community Responses (OACR)
Tiffany Wilson, Director
The Office of Alternative and Community Responses (OACR) is coordinating the Department of Law and Public Safety’s efforts to address how the Department and New Jersey’s law enforcement agencies respond to the country’s continued mental health and addiction crises. Law enforcement is often the first in the community to see the impact of these crises and the first to be asked to address them, often without the appropriate resources to do so. Traditional law enforcement responses and tools such as arrest, prosecution, and incarceration have proven inadequate in addressing the complexities of substance use disorder and mental health emergencies, often burdening frontline police officers and failing to provide effective solutions for the individual or the community impacted. This lack of success has underscored the need for alternative and coordinated strategies and solutions.
Operating within the Department of Law and Public Safety, OACR supports, coordinates, and creates strategies and collaborations aimed at enhancing public health and safety outcomes in situations where public health and public safety intersect. OACR is working to create a safer and healthier New Jersey for all by incorporating mental and behavioral health interventions, implementing innovative approaches, collaborating with communities, and promoting the well-being of law enforcement officers.
DIRECTIVE 2024-01
AG Directive 2024-01 | March 13, 2024
Directive Creating the Office of Alternative and Community Responses
PROGRAMS
PRESS RELEASES
Governor Murphy, Attorney General Platkin Announce $12 Million in Funding for Community Crisis Response Teams
Governor Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced today that up to $12 million in funding will be made available to establish the Community Crisis Response Team (CCRT) Pilot Program.
Attorney General Platkin Announces the Launch of the New “ARRIVE Together Dashboard”
Data Available Through the Dashboard Will Offer Valuable Insights into the Program.
AG Platkin Issues a Directive Formalizing the Office of Alternative and Community Responses Within Department of Law and Public Safety
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today announced a groundbreaking step forward in addressing how New Jersey’s law enforcement agencies respond to mental health and addiction crises by issuing an Administrative Directive to formally establish the Office of Alternative and Community Responses (OACR).
Essex County Physician Agrees to Permanently Cease Clinical Practice of Medicine in NJ Amid Allegations He Indiscriminately Prescribed CDS to Patients He Treated for Addiction
For Immediate Release: March 12, 2024 Office of the Attorney General- Matthew J. Platkin, Attorney GeneralDivision of Consumer Affairs- Cari Fais, Acting DirectorDivision of Law- Michael T.G. Long, DirectorFor Further Information: Media Inquiries-Lisa...
AG Platkin: New Jersey to Receive Nearly $9.5 Million from Opioid Settlement with Publicis Health, LLC
State Share is Part of $350 Million Nationwide Settlement Related to Deadly EpidemicFor Immediate Release: February 2, 2024 Office of the Attorney General- Matthew J. Platkin, Attorney GeneralDivision of Consumer AffairsDivision of Law- Michael T.G. Long, DirectorFor...
Governor Murphy and Attorney General Platkin Mark Two-Year Anniversary of New Jersey’s ARRIVE Together Alternative Response Program
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced today that the Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence and Escalation (ARRIVE) Together program is now operational in all 21 New Jersey counties, a milestone reached just as the program marks its two-year anniversary.
Attorney General Platkin Announces Paterson’s Participation in New Jersey’s ARRIVE Together Alternative Response Program
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced today that the City of Paterson, New Jersey’s third largest city, will be the first municipality in Passaic County to participate in the Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence and Escalation (ARRIVE) Together program.
AG Platkin Announces Launch of Program to Assist Non-Violent Offenders Overcoming Substance Use Disorder in Paterson
Opt for Help and Hope is a prosecutor-led diversion program that offers people who commit low-level, non-violent crimes the opportunity to overcome substance use disorder. Paterson is the first of six New Jersey cities to launch this pilot program.
Attorney General Platkin, Union County Leaders Announce Expansion of ARRIVE Together Alternative Response Program
Announcement includes countywide expansion of ARRIVE and key partnership with Kean UniversityFor Immediate Release: November 9, 2023 Office of the Attorney General- Matthew J. Platkin, Attorney GeneralOffice of Alternative and Community Responses– Tiffany Wilson,...
Attorney General Platkin, Middlesex County Leaders Highlight Success of ARRIVE Together Alternative Response Program
ARRIVE includes several models operating across the State, with the model used in each community tailored to each community’s unique needs, resources, and priorities.
