FARGO — The Cass County Public Safety Task Force is working to establish its priorities going forward. A review of the first five meetings of group found that behavioral health and the intersections between mental illness and law enforcement were just a few topics that consistently appeared. Members agreed that behavioral health is the primary public safety challenge facing the county. READ MORE FROM matthew freemanMonty Mertz, a North Dakota Public Defender assigned to the Task Force, believes some incidents are escalated simply because an officer in uniform responds to the call. The Task Force is hoping to have its priorities set before the next legislative session, in order to lobby for potential state and federal funding to help with its goals.