Two Los Angeles City Council members Friday introduced a motion to make permanent an unarmed crisis-response pilot program.
Council members Eunisses Hernandez and Bob Blumenfield introduced a motion Friday seeking to permanently adopt a pilot program that diverts emergency calls related to mental health crises away from Los Angeles Police Department officers to specialized clinicians and other non-law enforcement personnel. If approved, the motion would move to establish a centralized dispatch system to ensure emergency calls are handled by appropriate teams.
The motion is expected to be discussed by the Ad Hoc Committee on Unarmed Crisis Prevention Intervention in the future before coming to the City Council for a vote.
City officials launched the pilot program in 2024. The effort was led by Blumenfield and Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez.
Residents call LAPD’s 911 dispatchers, who can then divert calls to a centralized center. This center then plugs one of three nonprofits who handle calls for service — Exodus Recovery Inc., Alcott Center and Penny Lane Centers.
The three nonprofit organizations have staff trained in matters of de-escalation, conflict resolution, substance abuse, cultural competency and other areas of need, according to city officials.
City Council and Mayor Karen Bass later expanded the unarmed crisis response model, increasing the program to nearly $11.3 million.
Each service provider picked up an additional LAPD Division area to cover to the following areas:
— Alcott covers the Wilshire and Olympic divisions;
— Penny Lane covers the Devonshire and West Valley divisions; and
— Exodus covers the Southeast and West L.A. divisions.
The program is inspired by initiatives in smaller jurisdictions such as the CAHOOTS program, implemented in Eugene, Oregon.
Hernandez and Blumenfield in a joint press release described L.A.’s program as a “resounding success.”
Professionals responded to more than 17,000 calls for service with over 96% resolved without police involvement, according to city officials
“It resolves crises without use of force, frees up sworn officers for serious emergencies and costs taxpayers a fraction of the price,” Hernandez said in a statement. “At a time when our city is facing a serious budget crisis, now more than ever, we must take these lessons and build a permanent, citywide safety department that makes care-first response the standard for all of Los Angeles.”
Blumenfield echoed Hernandez’s sentiments, adding that “Creating an integrated dispatch system is the next step toward our shared goal.”
The council members also said the pilot program is also a matter of fiscal responsibility as it is a lifesaving necessity.
It costs taxpayers roughly $85 per hour to deploy LAPD officers, whereas the same response from a specialized unarmed crisis response team costs approximately $35 per hour.
Council members noted that deploying armed officers to nonviolent calls is a constant liability that can result in million-dollar settlements.
“Given that 35% of officer-involved shootings in 2023 involved individuals in a mental health crisis, this unarmed transition to a permanent care-first model is the only path forward that protects both the lives of Angelenos and taxpayers’ resources that could go towards other lifesaving resources,” according to Hernandez’s council office.
The motion seeks to improve the pilot program, by establishing a working group to enhance response times and operational efficiency.
It would request a report on the status of a proposed new Department of Community Safety, which would house all unarmed response functions.
When the city launched the 24-hour pilot program, the Los Angeles Police Protective League Board of Directors — the union representing LAPD’s sworn officers — expressed support for the program.
A spokesman for LAPPL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The city has several unarmed response programs, such as Mayor Karen Bass’ CIRCLE Program, which is also a 24/7 service that deploys trained teams to address non-urgent LAPD calls. The difference is that CIRCLE teams respond to calls related to unhoused individuals.
UMCR personnel typically respond to calls for service that have a social services component, do not involve violence, and are related to well-being checks, according to city officials. These calls for service can range from people experiencing homelessness; individuals suffering from a mental and/or behavioral health crisis; conflicts that could be resolved through mediation or other resolution strategies; and other low-acuity or non-criminal matters, city officials said.
The LAPD has a specialized team, called the Mental Evaluation Unit, which deploys officers and a mental health professional, as well.