Quick Take
First responders in Santa Cruz County need more trauma-informed services, writes Kevin Norton, who holds a master’s in public health and who has experienced trauma firsthand. About 38% of calls to Santa Cruz police now involve mental health issues, substance use and homelessness, he writes. The toll is wearing on those who respond and he is not surprised by a 2017 study showing more American police officers and emergency medical services professionals died by suicide than in the line of duty. Since 1992, Santa Cruz’s population has increased by 23%, but calls to the fire department increased by 163%, with the majority being medical calls, Norton writes. We need to do more, he says, to help our emergency service workers.
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When Santa Cruz Fire Chief Rob Oatey was a firefighter, he used to visit homeless encampments and he would sometimes find some of his high school or junior high classmates living in the camp. The recognition always surprised him.
Some spoke to him, but others were so high or drunk they couldn’t. “That was completely depressing. And to see that despite all of the resources, they couldn’t be helped. That was traumatic in its own way,” Oatey said.
Every day, police and emergency professionals in Santa Cruz County are bearing the brunt of the ongoing mental health crisis in the U.S., made worse by a sizable homeless population. I see it firsthand in people like Oatey, who was kind enough to share some of his front-line stories.
I don’t think we talk enough about the trauma and mental anguish experienced by first responders and those who work with the homeless population every day. We rarely acknowledge the long-term emotional toll on those who routinely interact with unhoused residents — a population that itself has endured significant trauma.
I have personal experience with trauma, which is why I care about this topic and why I feel a personal kinship with others navigating trauma’s lasting effects. Motor vehicle collisions traumatized me decades ago and I am still recovering.
According to Santa Cruz Police Chief Bernie Escalante, more than 38% of calls to Santa Cruz police now involve mental health issues, substance use, homelessness and other quality-of-life concerns. This marks a sharp increase from the 1950s and 1960s, when homelessness in the U.S. was so uncommon that observers predicted it would disappear.
Oatey said he’s also witnessed the upswing of homelessness during his career. Between 1992 and 2024, the population of the city of Santa Cruz increased by 23%; meanwhile, calls to the fire department increased by 163%, with the majority being medical calls.
The homelessness crisis in Santa Cruz County affects the mental well-being of everyone it touches, but especially those on the front lines. First responders experience more trauma and emotional exhaustion as they step into the roles of mental health workers and social service providers.
They already face demanding and high-risk jobs. A 2015 study found that over the course of their careers, police officers encounter an average of 188 “critical incidents,” many of which involve severe trauma. They witness bloody crashes, violent crimes, child abuse cases, struggling families and, notably, interactions with the homeless population — further adding to the emotional and psychological toll of their work.
Given these challenges, it’s not surprising that in 2017, more American police officers and emergency medical services professionals died by suicide than in the line of duty. Research from 2021 estimates that up to 35% of American police officers experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Interacting with homeless people every day can cause vicarious trauma, since virtually all of the people in the U.S. who are unhoused suffered trauma before ending up on the street. Oftentimes, it began early in life. One study estimated that almost 90% of the homeless population in the U.S. suffered trauma as children, such as sexual abuse, physical abuse or neglect.
Vicarious trauma is a problem that is understood by Santa Cruz firefighters, Oatey told me: “Sometimes you see the same people over and over again, and it can be frustrating. Your efforts might seem futile, along with the trauma of witnessing their trauma.”
Escalante said that policing these days can be even more difficult for officers than during past years. “We police officers are human beings,” Escalante said. “We have feelings and emotions just like anyone else. We’re not immune to all of the things we’re exposed to, day in and day out. … There are a lot of issues that come from it that as a profession we’re trying to more proactively address and help people with.”
Escalante and Oatey said they are already trying to improve the mental health and well-being of their staffs. Some examples of these initiatives include:
- Offering a seminar on communication skills at the Santa Cruz Fire Department, to nurture the healthy relationships that protect against the development of post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Providing mental health resources to the families of Santa Cruz Police Department staff.
- Offering peer support teams — 10 Santa Cruz police officers and 16 firefighters are certified as peer support specialists.
- Including county mental health liaisons, who provide services to citizens in a mental health crisis, but who also train police officers on de-escalatory communication strategies.
- Using trauma-informed methods for interviewing victims of crime.
Santa Cruz residents have been paying for the rise of homelessness in more ways than one. Between 1985 and 2025, spending on the police and fire departments’ share of the city budget increased by 5.2% and 7.4%, respectively — and meanwhile, budget spending dedicated to the public works and parks and recreation departments decreased by 5.4% and 7.9%, respectively. There is more — for example, the city manager’s department spent $7.3 million last year on services related to “homelessness response.”
If we want to better support our first responders, who buffer us from the dysfunctions of American society, we can educate them about the effects of trauma and strategies to avoid PTSD, an approach successfully implemented for the police force in cities such as Cambridge, Massachusetts. Providing training on meditation and nonviolent communication, along with creating more opportunities for first responders to engage with emotionally stable, less traumatized members of the population, could also improve their well-being and build resilience.
Critics might dismiss trauma-informed training for first responders as a waste of money, but the reality is quite the opposite. The benefits of trauma education, meditation and nonviolent communication have been proved by research. I know this firsthand, as these practices have helped me with my own recovery and resilience.
Santa Cruz County has one of the highest homelessness rates in California, alongside worsening trends for mental health. It’s essential that we become trauma-informed and support our first responders more actively. It won’t address the tragic problem of homelessness as effectively as creating more affordable housing would. But it can help police and emergency medical service professionals navigate difficult encounters, such as recognizing a former high school classmate living outdoors in a tent.
Kevin Norton holds a master’s of public health degree from the University of Florida and lives on Santa Cruz’s Westside.