"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."
"The ruling involved the killing of Ray Anthony Scott, a man known by the Las Vegas police department to have schizophrenia. Scott called police just after 3am on 4 March 2019, reporting suspicious men outside his apartment. When officers Kyle Smith and Theodore Huntsman arrived, Scott complied with their requests; he handed over a pipe and a knife that he had on him."
Several California sheriff's departments have begun refusing to respond to 911 calls involving mental health crises when no crime is reported or when no one else faces imminent danger. Sacramento sheriff Jim Cooper restricted deputy responses to cases involving a crime in progress or imminent danger to others. El Cajon police adopted a similar policy. Other agencies, including Ventura County and Long Beach, say officers may arrive but might not stay if no crime is occurring and the person poses no threat. The policy shift follows data on catastrophic outcomes and a 2024 federal ruling linking police conduct to a killing of a mentally ill man, raising concerns where nonpolice alternatives remain incomplete.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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