Durham to expand hours, locations for unarmed first responders part of HEART program

Durham leaders want to expand the city's team of unarmed first responders – the HEART (Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Teams) – to the entire city for 12 hours a day.

The HEART pilot program, operating in a portion of the city for 11 hours daily, has garnered high praise from city council and residents.

Mayor Elaine M. O'Neal specifically credited the team with addressing aggressive panhandlers that have been a concern for downtown businesses.

HEART workers develop a rapport with offenders, visiting them while they are in jail and tracking and helping them once they are released again into the community.

"These are neighbors whose needs, I cannot stress enough, are so complex," said Ryan Smith, director of the community safety department.