Why Does This Exist?

Dr. Jonathan Porteus, president of Ri International, described the origin problem to CBS News: “Before 988, 911 was the only option in a mental health crisis,” which typically led “to a hospital, or to jail.”¹

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The Mismatch

Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper described the core problem to the Sacramento Bee: “Being mentally ill is not a crime and we can’t be the answer. Law enforcement officers are not trained mental health professionals. We’re not psychiatrists and psychologists. We wear the badge, we carry the gun, we deal with crime, not mental health crises.”²

A Denver police officer told NYU researchers the stakes from the officer’s perspective: “Why would you wanna put us in a situation where more than likely we may fail, and if we fail, our failure is epic, right? Our failure is front page news.”³

The Scale

A dispatch data analysis of 15 U.S. police departments, reported in American Police Beat Magazine, found that “up to 20%” of police dispatch time was spent on behavioral health calls.¹⁷ In Dakota County, Minnesota, officials found that “83% of calls don’t need to have law enforcement,” according to program administrator Brent Anderson.¹⁸ The NYU Policing Project’s study of Denver reported that STAR “only had the capacity to respond to 20% of the city’s nearly 40,000 eligible calls.”¹⁹

What Happens Under the Status Quo

The U.S. Department of Justice’s civil rights investigation of the Phoenix Police Department documented what can result when officers are sent to behavioral health calls without alternative options. The DOJ found that “PhxPD officers often approach individuals with behavioral health disabilities with a ‘force first’ mentality,” and that officers “fire Tasers at people with little or no warning” and “rarely attempt de-escalation before firing a Taser.”²⁰ Officers also “fail to recognize that a person’s disability may impact whether they can understand commands or comply with them.”²¹ The DOJ noted that “when we did see PhxPD request a mobile crisis team, the incidents were resolved without arrest or use of force.”²²

The Cost To Police

In Durham, North Carolina, the HEART crisis program has saved police officers more than 10,000 hours since launch.⁴ In Oklahoma City, The Oklahoman reported a “57% Decline In Police Dispatched To Mental Health Calls” after the city’s mobile crisis program launched.⁵

10,000+

officer hours saved — Durham, North Carolina (ICMA 2025 Award)

57%

reduction in police mental health dispatches — Oklahoma City (The Oklahoman)

Officers in cities with these programs have described the effect directly. Minneapolis Deputy Chief Eric Fors: “Feedback from the rank-and-file officers has been nothing but positive.”⁶ In St. Petersburg, Police Special Projects Manager Megan McGee reported that when the CALL program launched, “No one came to me and fought the program. This was a big win for the officers.”⁷ In Santa Rosa, California, The Press Democrat reported the mobile crisis program diverted “3,568 calls from law enforcement” and another “1,408 from fire and emergency medical services” in a single year. Santa Rosa Police Lieutenant Chris Mahurin described the program as “a win-win for both responders and the community.”²³ Oklahoma City Police Chief Ron Bacy told News 9 that mental health professionals are often the “more appropriate” responders, “allowing us to not be the subject matter experts in certain situations that don’t require our physical presence.”²⁴

The Revolving Door

A St. Petersburg police officer described the frustration with repeat calls in an interview reported by Megan McGee: “I know I’m going to come back to that house in a month and it could be worse.”⁸

The Rhino Times reported what happened when Guilford County, North Carolina deployed a specialized team to work with a group of frequent 911 callers: the group’s non-emergency calls dropped from 344 to 4 in a single month.⁹

344 → 4

non-emergency 911 calls from one group after sustained crisis team engagement (Rhino Times)

The financial cost of the status quo is documented. A Wall Street Journal analysis of court records (2015–2024) found that “local governments representing 25 of the nation’s largest police and sheriff’s departments paid out over three billion dollars over a ten year period to settle civil lawsuit claims.”¹⁰

The Cost Comparison

SAMHSA’s 2025 National Behavioral Health Crisis Care Guidelines reported that mobile crisis services produce “23 percent lower average cost” compared to other crisis services and “reduced inpatient hospitalization costs by approximately 79 percent.”¹¹ Denver’s analysis, reported by 9News, found that placing people in the criminal justice system instead of mobile crisis response “would have cost the city four-times more.”¹² The Rhino Times reported that Guilford County saved $400,000 through targeted mobile crisis intervention with frequent callers.¹³

Why Officers Support It

Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock testified before city council: “It’s time that we work towards getting law enforcement out of mental health. We have never claimed to be the experts, but yet we have been charged with the responsibility of responding to mental health crisis.”¹⁴

The SAMHSA 2025 guidelines framed the policy rationale directly: “law enforcement presence should be minimized to the degree possible, recognizing the potential harm and stigma associated with police involvement in behavioral health crises.”¹⁵ Instead, SAMHSA reported, “communities across the country have designed their mobile crisis services to rapidly meet the needs of individuals, provide support, ensure safety, and coordinate follow-up care.”¹⁶

The Bottom Line

Officers describe being asked to handle situations they are not trained for. Data from Durham and Oklahoma City documents the workload these calls represent. Guilford County and Denver have documented cost differentials between mobile crisis response and the alternatives. SAMHSA’s 2025 federal guidelines now recommend minimizing law enforcement involvement in behavioral health crises. Liability data shows the financial exposure cities carry under the status quo.