Stay updated with breaking news from John Barrett. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
The Associated Press has found that 14 of the 20 most populous U.S. cities are experimenting with removing police from certain, nonviolent 911 calls and sending behavioral health clinicians
DENVER (AP) — Christian Glass was a geology geek, a painter and a young man beset by a mental health crisis when he called 911 for help getting his car unstuck in a Colorado mountain town last year. When sheriff’s deputies arrived, he refused to get out of the car after saying that supernatural beings […]
U.S. cities are experimenting with removing police from some nonviolent 911 calls and sending behavioral health clinicians instead after a groundswell of anger over police killings and nationwide call for reforms. Initiatives in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Columbus, Ohio, and Houston
Many major cities are now deploying the civilian teams to deal with mental health crisis calls instead of police.
"If someone is experiencing a mental health crisis, law enforcement is not what they need," said Tamara Lynn of the National De-Escalation Training Center, a private group that trains police to handle such situations.