A new program in Los Angeles is deploying teams of clinicians — not police officers — to respond to incidents involving people in mental health crisis, city leaders announced Wednesday.
The news comes several years after city authorities promised to develop an unarmed crisis response program in the wake of the 2020 murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and the local uprisings that followed.
“We recognize the need for the city of Los Angeles to provide a response in moments of crisis … that don’t often require those armed with a gun,” said Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who leads the L.A. City Council’s Public Safety committee, during a news conference at City Hall.
People living with mental illness, their family members and activists have long called for the removal of law enforcement from mental health crisis calls. Often, the presence of police officers or sheriff’s deputies can cause a situation to escalate and lead to violent or deadly outcomes.
In 2023, Los Angeles police officers shot at 34 people in separate incidents, 12 of whom — about 35% — were perceived to be living with a mental illness, according to the department’s own data.
Rodriguez said the city budgeted $9 million in the last fiscal year for the new unarmed crisis response program.
Assistance For Mental Health Crises Or Support
How the new model works
Since March 12, two-person teams made up of mental health specialists, emergency medical workers and licensed marriage and family therapists have responded to more than 300 non-violent…
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