In May of 2021, the City of DeSoto was awarded the Dallas County New Directions Public Safety Grant. This grant was created to address the crisis of criminalization, mental health, poverty, and homelessness by utilizing alternatives to police response and incarceration to more appropriately address the needs of Dallas County residents. DeSoto proposed the pilot of a Regional CARE Team composed of Police Officers from each identified city, Care Coordinators provided by the Local Mental Health Authority, Licensed Social Service Providers, and Victim’s Assistance Coordinators all under one roof.