L.A. Reports Success with Civilians Handling Non-Criminal Emergencies

A New Approach to Crisis Response in Los Angeles

When residents of Los Angeles face situations that require emergency assistance—such as encountering someone experiencing a mental health crisis—the usual first responders are firefighters or armed police officers. However, a new initiative is introducing an alternative that could reshape how the city handles such calls.

For the past year, Los Angeles has been testing a program that sends specially trained civilians without firearms to respond to certain non-violent and non-urgent calls. The city recently released a report highlighting the early success of this approach, which has shown promising results.

The report emphasizes that unarmed crisis responders can de-escalate situations and provide compassionate care for individuals in need. According to the findings, these responders are not only offering specialized support but also allowing the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to focus more on traditional law enforcement tasks.

How the Program Operates

The pilot program involves teams of licensed clinicians, social workers, community workers, and therapists who work in pairs. These teams are available 24/7 and have handled over 6,700 calls in their first year. Most of these calls involve welfare checks, public intoxication, and indecent exposure. Although the workload of about 40 calls per day is still small compared to what the LAPD handles, the program has already saved nearly 7,000 hours of patrol time.

With the LAPD facing challenges in filling its ranks, officials believe such programs could play a larger role in the future. While the report does not address the impact on low-level crimes, it suggests that the program could contribute to making the city safer.

Additional Support and Follow-Up

Unarmed responders also conduct follow-up visits and offer services like mental health treatment and drug rehabilitation programs to those willing to accept them. The Unarmed Model of Crisis Response is one of two similar programs being tested in the city. The other, called CIRCLE, operates under the mayor's office with its own call center and designated service areas.

Despite some skepticism about whether unarmed civilians could be overwhelmed by the situations they encounter, the report found that fewer than 4.1% of calls required police backup. Most of these cases involved individuals who insisted on having an officer present or who were found to have weapons.

Challenges and Future Prospects

The findings come at a time when advocates are concerned about potential cuts to federal funding for social safety net programs. This uncertainty raises questions about how L.A.’s program and similar initiatives across the country will scale up and have a broader impact.

Over half of the calls handled by unarmed responders involve disturbances, with prowler or trespasser reports being the next most common category. On average, the teams take about 28 minutes to respond and spend around 25 minutes on scene.

One example from the report describes a situation where a team was dispatched to an apartment where a woman named "Liz" was behaving erratically. The team arrived to find her door open and discovered signs of a possible overdose. They turned off the gas stove, ventilated the apartment, and contacted firefighters, staying with her until help arrived.

Limitations and Safety Considerations

The civilian teams do not handle calls involving weapons, violence, urgent medical needs, minors, or situations with three or more people involved. LAPD officials have acknowledged that even with crisis intervention training and less-lethal weapons, officers are not always equipped to manage mental health calls.

The program, managed by the city administrator’s office, initially launched in three police divisions—Devonshire, Wilshire, and Southeast—and has since expanded to include West L.A., Olympic, and West Valley. It was introduced in March 2024 amid growing frustration over how the city addresses homelessness, substance abuse, and mental health issues.

Broader Implications and Support

Efforts to reduce reliance on armed police for emergency responses have been ongoing for years, with several new programs emerging since 2020, following the murder of George Floyd. Researchers have tracked over 100 such programs across the U.S.

Despite its promise, some local initiatives in Los Angeles have struggled to grow. For instance, the Los Angeles Fire Department discontinued its psychiatric mobile response teams, and a plan to have Transportation Department workers conduct traffic stops instead of police has faced delays.

Nonetheless, proponents of these programs remain cautiously optimistic. City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez praised the data showing that care-first approaches can keep people safe, reduce costs, and prevent financial burdens on the city.

Godfrey Plata, deputy director of LA Forward, expressed satisfaction with the program’s growth and the city council’s decision to increase funding despite budget constraints. He emphasized the importance of building a robust emergency management system ahead of major events like the World Cup and Olympics.