Ramsey County Budget Committee of the Whole: Safety & Justice Service Team Performance Measures – September 10, 2026
Ramsey County Budget Committee of the Whole: Safety & Justice Service Team Performance Measures – September 10, 2026
The Budget Committee of the Whole met on September 10, 2026, starting at 9 a.m., to review the 2027 Supplemental Budget and performance measures for the Safety and Justice Service Team. Presentations were given by the Emergency Communications Center (ECC), the Sheriff’s Office, and the County Attorney’s Office, each highlighting key performance metrics, staffing challenges, community engagement efforts, and future budget needs.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Commissioner McGuire shared a personal experience praising the ECC for excellent care after she fell and broke her kneecap during a tour. She also noted the Ramsey County League of Local Governments appreciated the tour and information provided.
- A resident named Mary was quoted in the ECC presentation expressing gratitude for the compassionate handling of a mental health crisis call, saying the situation was resolved professionally and without violence.
Discussion Items
Emergency Communications Center (ECC) Presentation
- Director Nancy Paz presented the ECC supplemental budget and measures. In 2025, 47% of all incoming calls were non-emergency; at least 11% (>36,000 calls) were direct transfers to other departments. The ECC is implementing a non-emergency call handling automation (NECA) conversational AI to manage non-urgent calls, freeing up staff for emergencies.
- Average call answer time: National standards recommend 95% of 911 calls answered within 15 seconds and 99% within 40 seconds. Staffing levels directly influence this; turnover was 28.5% in 2025, trending lower in 2026 at 17.6%, but expected to rise.
- Appropriate Response Initiative (ARI): In 2025, 62% of person-in-crisis calls (about 9,300 calls, 1.3% of total) were handled by embedded social workers, public health responders, or the mental health crisis team. Embedded social workers received 3,833 calls in 2025, with 64% resolved by phone. The county will operationalize ARI within ECC operations in 2027.
- Domestic violence resource text link: Part of phase two of the initiative; cards with QR codes are being developed for community distribution.
- Commissioner Zhang asked about the difference between ARI and embedded social workers and requested hard numbers on responses. Director Paz and County Manager Becker noted an ARI workshop is planned before year-end to provide context.
- Commissioner McMurtry asked about St. Paul’s incorporation into ARI; officials noted the public health responder component is being redesigned as a mobile service center model, and all St. Paul 911 calls already receive embedded social worker and crisis team support.
- Commissioner Miller asked how ARI frees traditional emergency response capacity; the director agreed to bring data to the November workshop.
- Commissioner Javens asked about cell phone location; the director explained that calls hit towers and are routed to the correct center, with improvements coming via Next Generation 911.
- The ECC is also investing in wellness initiatives (Creative Caponia) and an internal peer support team, plus an organization-wide culture survey (Empower You).
Sheriff’s Office Presentation
- Sheriff Bob Fletcher and Under Sheriff Kyle Meested outlined three performance measures: (1) number of expungements processed – the Sheriff’s Office processes court-ordered expungements; (2) victim-related protection orders (harassment restraining orders, orders for protection, domestic abuse no contact orders) – measured by percentage served timely (goal above 93%); (3) average daily population at the Adult Detention Center (ADC) – 396 in 2025, with 35 at Project Bridge (RCCF). The goal is to increase Project Bridge population to reduce ADC overcrowding.
- The sheriff reported serious crime in Ramsey County dropped 40% over the past three years, and auto thefts dropped 70%. The ADC staffing study recommendations are being implemented; 34 correctional officers are in training (65% diverse, 20% female), expected to reduce overtime costs by late October.
- Project Bridge partnership with RCCF has improved conditions for inmates. The budget includes ongoing funding for up to 60-70 additional placements at RCCF.
- Commissioner Miller asked about timelines for expungement processing and protection order service; the under sheriff said statutory deadlines (30-60 days) are generally met.
- Commissioner Zhang asked about fee schedules and technology; there was discussion about Workday implementation for better cost breakdowns.
- Chair Doyle noted racial disparities in jail bookings: 51% Black, 29% White, 9% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 3% Native American, and asked what crimes are driving these numbers. The sheriff agreed to provide data on booking charges; Under Sheriff Meested mentioned Rule 20 (mental health) is a significant pressure.
- Discussion on Flock cameras: Several commissioners raised concerns about data privacy and community trust. County Manager Becker noted she is conducting due diligence with city administrators and will bring a comprehensive report to the board. The sheriff argued the cameras are valuable for crime reduction and that policy should be set at the state level.
County Attorney’s Office Presentation
- County Attorney John Choi presented performance measures: (1) expungements processed via helpsealmyrecord.org – goal of 400 per year (actual fluctuated, 2025 goal 400); (2) expungement applications reviewed – goal of 1,350; (3) child support orders established – goal of 80% (currently below due to staffing challenges but improving); (4) percentage of adult felony cases offered diversion – goal of 10% (currently 7%); (5) percentage of youth cases where power is shared with community through collaborative review team (CRT) – goal of 50% (currently 42.4% as of 2025 data).
- Choi emphasized the economic impact of expungements: University of Michigan study shows 20% income increase for those with records sealed. He noted the Clean Slate Act is being implemented at the state level for automatic expungements, but data brokers still pose a challenge.
- For youth justice, the collaborative review team includes the public defender and a community representative. Recidivism for youth in restorative justice programs is 4%, compared to 29-35% previously. Girls are more likely to experience shared power because their cases are less violent (eligible for CRT). New gender-specific programming (e.g., Gen to Gen, Cesma Flame Lily) has been added.
- Choi expressed concern about state funding for restorative justice grants ($500,000 received); he plans to lobby for continuation and seek foundation bridge funding.
- Commissioner Miller asked about sustainability of youth programs after grant funding ends; county manager noted the board approved $269,000 ongoing for youth/adult diversion and $114,000 for a restorative outreach coordinator.
- Discussion on jail diversion and mental health: Choi called for a collective effort to move “the largest boulder” – systemic solutions require collaboration across county, state, and community. Commissioner Javens and others supported a workshop on these issues.
Key Outcomes
- The board will hold a workshop on the Appropriate Response Initiative (ARI) in November or before year-end, as announced by Deputy County Manager Reyes.
- Data requests from the ECC, Sheriff’s Office, and County Attorney’s Office will be fulfilled: detailed breakdowns on ARI responses, booking charges by race, protection order service times, and recidivism for adult diversion programs.
- The Sheriff’s Office will provide data on what criminal charges are driving the jail population, to inform future policy talks.
- The County Attorney’s Office will continue its expungement outreach, including participation in Commissioner Moran’s expungement clinic.
- The board set a schedule for 2027 supplemental budget: first public hearing today at 5 p.m.; levy limit set at September 22 board meeting; final public hearing December 3; final budget adoption December 15.
- No formal votes were taken; the meeting was information and discussion only. The committee adjourned around 3 p.m., with a note to reconvene at 5 p.m. for the public hearing.
Meeting Transcript
Community driven subcommittee and with financial support from a microgrant we received from Ramsey County Youth Violence Prevention. And some of those activities will be a community, a series of community dinners, and that's a response directly from the community feedback that these gatherings are deeply missed. A restorative practice framework to help families access healing pathways before a crisis escalates. And then finally, a two-day in-person train the trainer program, recruiting community stakeholders and community champions in healing circles, where the final two community dinners would feature healing circles facilitated by those newly trained community healers. The impact of these program of these programs is not abstract. They directly strengthen our ability to deliver timely, high quality emergency communication services by elevating the community voices and expanding access to resources. Next, I want to walk you through a performance measure that is the cornerstone of operational excellence and reflects the collective effort of our entire team, which is how quickly we answer 911 calls. National standards guide this work, both the National Emergency Number Association or NINA, and the National Fire Protection Association, NFPA, recommend that 95% of all 901 calls be answered within 15 seconds and require that 99% be answered within 40 seconds. These benchmarks apply to every public safety answering point in the country. In 2024, we strengthen our reporting by implementing a more accurate and consistent method for analyzing call handling data. We recalculated our historical numbers, including 2023, using this improved methodology. From this point forward, all of our reporting uses this data approach, giving us a clearer and more reliable picture of the performance over time. As you know, staffing levels directly influence our ability to meet these standards. Our staff manage high stress, often traumatic calls, and they frequently work mandated over time. With recent Minnesota law changes to include meal breaks, earned sick and safe time, and paid family and medical leave, they have only intensified this pressure on us, making it even more challenging to maintain the staffing levels necessary to meet operational standards. These pressures can contribute to burnout and turnover, which in turn may affect call answer times. Our overall turnover rate in 2025 was 28.5%, and we are trending around 17.6% this year. We anticipate that number to grow, but we are trending lower than we did in 2025. The majority of our turnover is within the first year of employment through probationary terminations, which each termination is discussed with our labor manager, human resources, and attorney partners, or we see resignations for personal reasons such as moves moving, choosing a different career path, or once they start the training, they realize the job is more difficult than what they thought. We continually strive to make meaningful progress by investing wellness initiatives like Creative Caponia into our budget, which previously was funded by American Rescue Plan Act Fund dollars. In 2027, they will continue to provide monthly on-site support for employees dealing with trauma-related stress or personal mental health challenges. They also provide up to 10 off-site sessions, that is an addition to the county's EAP program. We also have an internal peer support team which receives ongoing training to support staff before, during, and after difficult calls. Additionally, our empower you initiative is helping us strengthen our organizational culture. This work aligns directly with the county's strategic priority of operational excellence. It includes an organization-wide check-in survey, uh, in-person all-staff focus groups, and a leadership retreat, all designed to help us understand where we've been, where we are now, and where we want to go as an organization. The result will be a collaboratively shaped plan that reflects the collective wisdom and lived experience of our staff. I want to emphasize that this work is a far more about meeting the national standard. It's about building a system that serves people when they need us the most. That's why we're also investing in technology that supports our staff and improves the caller experience. With new funding received in 2027, we are implementing tools that will help us process calls more efficiently. One of the most significant advancements is the development of non-emergency call handling automation, or NECA. It's a conversational agent, AI, designed to manage non-emergency calls. I just want to make sure I'm really clear that's only non-emergency calls that is not 911 calls. In 2025, 47% of all incoming calls came through our non-emergency lines. At least 11% of those, more than 36,000 calls were direct transfers to other departments for information requests, report follow-ups, inquiries about the jail, warrants, courts, fingerprinting, property room, gun permits, animal control, and other non-urgent needs. These calls matter, but they consume valuable time and resources that could be directed towards critical incidents. NECA will help reduce whole times, free up call takers to focus on emergencies requiring judgment, empathy, and critical thinking, and help us build uh help us better manage high call volumes of non-emergency calls. This is not about replacing people or doing more with fewer people. It's about supporting our existing staff, reducing burnout, and improving the quality of service that we provide. All of these efforts, wellness, training, culture, technology, come together to support one goal, one goal, answering 911 calls quickly, consistently, and with the highest level of care for Ramsey County. Next, I want to highlight a performance measure that reflects our one Ramsey County approach to justice transformation. The percentage of person in crisis calls supported through the appropriate response initiative. This is a key indicator of how effectively we're connecting people to the right kind of help. As you heard during County Manager Becker's budget hearing, we are now operationalizing this work within ECC operations in 2027 and as part of the supplemental budget. Moving ARI from concept into a fully functioning program. This shift marks a significant step forward in embedding alternative response strategies directly into our emergency communication system. I want to pause and acknowledge the board's continued commitment to advance this work. Your support is what enables us to meet people in crisis with the right response at the right time, and it's making a measurable difference in our community. Person in crisis calls make up a small but incredibly important portion of our overall call volume.
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