In the past year, a handful of sheriff’s departments in California have started 👉refusing to respond to 911 calls that involve a mental health crisis, but where no crime has been reported.
In February, the #Sacramento sheriff, Jim Cooper, announced that his deputies would only respond to mental health crises if a crime had been committed or was in process,
or if someone other than the person in crisis was in imminent danger.
Down in #San #Diego county,
the police chief for the city of #El #Cajon, Jeremiah Larson, made a similar policy decision in May.
Several other law enforcement agencies in the state, including the #Ventura county sheriff’s office
and the #Long #Beach police department have said their officers will respond to every call,
but they may not stay if no crime is happening and the person in crisis does not pose a threat to other people.
The trend comes as data shows the 💥catastrophic results of police responding to mental health calls.
But the removal of police from these situations,
which civil rights advocates have long sought,
has also raised questions about the real-world impact in communities where alternatives are incomplete.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/02/california-police-cut-mental-health-calls?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other