Bellevue Human Services Commission Meeting - October 29, 2025

The Human Services Commission convened on October 29, 2025, to welcome new Commissioner Olga Perelman, approve June 2nd meeting minutes, and review staff reports. The meeting included public testimony regarding organizational funding and police conduct, followed by in-depth presentations on the Bellevue Community Crisis Response Program (CARES/CCAT) and the Bellevue Police Department's initiatives, recruitment, and community partnerships.

Consent Calendar

• The minutes from the June 2nd meeting were moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Lawrence Luo (Transcend United): Spoke on behalf of the organization seeking city support, funding, and resources for their senior community events held at Crossroads Community Center to combat post-COVID isolation for underserved seniors.
• Anonymous Speaker (Self-identified as a supporter of former President Vanessa Kritzer): Expressed deep concern regarding the behavior of Alex Zimmerman, citing reports of his presence in the region. The speaker condemned the individual's rhetoric as Nazi, racist, and sexist, requested his removal from City Hall, and urged enforcement of state laws prohibiting political campaigning during meetings.
• Alex Zimmerman: Accused the Commission of engaging in "pure fascism" and committing "pure crime" by allegedly cutting speeches from registered speakers (reducing allowed speakers from 25 to 10) and denying access to appeal mechanisms. The speaker stated they would report the Commission to the police if faces were not displayed during the meeting and claimed their election statement was unjustly cut.

Discussion Items

• Presentation: Bellevue Community Crisis Response Program (CARES, CARES 101, CCAT)

  • CARES Team Overview: Introduced by Dylan Gordon (Field Education Supervisor) and Jordan (Crisis Response Social Worker). The program, modeled after Spokane CARES, has evolved since 2012 from two student advocates to a team including professional social workers and up to 25 student advocates from 16 universities.
  • CARE 101 Unit: A co-response unit staffed by seven days a week, dispatchable by fire/police to 911 calls. They meet clients on scene or at hospitals to stabilize crises and refer them to case management.
  • CCAT (Community Crisis Assistance Team): Launched full-time in September 2023 following a 2021 pilot. CCAT pairs officers in unmarked cars with social workers. Pilot data showed a 45% increase in referrals to CARES advocates, an average of three referrals per client to community services, an 80% decrease in arrests, and a 24% reduction in use of force by police. CCAT hours are Tuesday-Friday (6 a.m.–midnight) and Saturday-Monday (6 a.m.–10 p.m.).
  • Opioid Outreach: A new social worker position funded by opioid settlement funds focuses on follow-up case management for opioid use issues and community outreach, including starting work at community court.
  • Resource Gaps Identified by Staff: Staff cited significant gaps in resources for women's shelters (only one in Bellevue with few beds), emergency shelters (clients often sent to Tacoma Rescue Mission), co-occurring mental health/substance use treatment, and services for individuals with multiple overlapping needs (e.g., unhoused individuals in wheelchairs with service dogs requiring ID).
  • Caseload & Demographics: The team currently manages approximately 250 open cases. The age demographic has shifted from predominantly elderly referrals in 2012 to primarily 30-to-50-year-olds dealing with mental health and substance use issues. 2020 data showed over 1,000 referrals annually, a number likely higher now.

• Presentation: Bellevue Police Department Programs & Initiatives

  • Leadership Report: Major Ellen Inman provided an overview of the department's structure, mission, and accreditation status (nationally accredited by CLEAA since 2005).
  • Call Volume & Response: The department received over 52,000 911 calls in 2024. Priority 1 response times averaged 3 minutes and 36 seconds.
  • Staffing Challenges: The department is currently facing approximately 16 vacancies out of a staffed level of 206 officers. Major Inman attributed this to statewide recruiting difficulties, competition with tech companies (Amazon, Microsoft), and a national trend of retirements.
  • Recruitment & Diversity: The department implemented targeted digital marketing, resulting in a 300% increase in applications in the first year. Over half of recent applicants for a victim advocate position were from outside Washington. Officers receive training on cultural competence, language barriers, and de-escalation.
  • Community Engagement: Highlighted initiatives include the Police Advisory Councils, Sector Captains (North, West, South) for direct community liaison, Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), the Women's Empowered Self-Defense program, Youth Camps, AirTag giveaways, and a successful gun exchange program where 87 firearms were collected in May in exchange for $13,000 in gift cards.
  • Threat Management: The department utilizes a joint terrorism task force for threat assessment and collaborates with the city's threat management team regarding potential school violence risks.

Key Outcomes

• Commission Schedule Update: The Commission will recess for August. The next meeting will be a special meeting on Monday, September 8, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., focusing on the upcoming funding cycle. Regular meetings will resume in September with two meetings per month.
• No Formal Votes: No motions were made or votes taken on agenda items during this meeting; the session concluded with the adjournment of the meeting at 8:11 p.m.
• Resource Acknowledgement: The Commission was provided with detailed data on current resource gaps (shelters, co-occurring treatment) which were highlighted as critical areas for future advocacy by staff and the public.