Modeled after a heralded program out of Oregon, the Unarmed Model of Crisis Response in Los Angeles sends trained unarmed civilians to handle nonviolent mental health calls, aiming to provide a more specialized and effective response.
City officials are looking to evaluate the performance of the pilot program after a year, with the possibility of expanding it to other areas. LA aims to reduce the burden on police officers of handling nonviolent mental health emergencies.
City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield emphasized the importance of providing additional tools like the Unarmed Model of Crisis Response to better assist individuals in need, highlighting the limitations of asking police officers to fulfill multiple roles.
The program in LA is inspired by the 'Cahoots' model in Eugene, Oregon, which dispatches specialists trained in counseling and de-escalation. LA's initiative aims to address mental health-related calls more effectively amidst public frustration with current responses.
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