U.S. cities typically rely on police as the default responders to a wide range of 911 calls for low-risk situations that involve conflict resolution, behavioral health, homelessness, service needs, or quality-of-life concerns. This practice diverts resources away from serious and violent crime and overlooks many of the underlying social needs that drive people to call 911 from the start. Some cities address these issues by dispatching community responder teams to low-risk 911 calls instead of police.
A report from the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, the Center for American Progress, and the Policing Project at New York University School of Law offers recommendations on how cities can adapt their 911 dispatch policies and practices to better integrate community responder teams.