LA mayor-elect Raman and LAPD Chief McDonnell agree: mental-health 911 calls need civilian responders, not just police

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell and mayor-elect Nithya Raman found common ground at a meeting on Nov. 12: about a third of the LAPD’s 1.45 million annual 911 calls involve people experiencing a mental-health crisis, and more civilian mental-health professionals should share the work now falling on officers.

A third of calls involve mental-health crises

In an interview with The California Post, McDonnell said officers spend a large share of patrol time on mental-health calls because someone has to respond when a person poses a threat to others — but a psychologist or social worker is better suited to the task than an armed officer. About 72,000 people are homeless in Los Angeles County, and many in psychological distress on the street end up as police calls.

Raman’s 100-day plan: expand unarmed response

As part of her first 100-day public-safety plan, Raman wants more unarmed crisis-response professionals accompanying officers on calls, more 911 operators, and an audit of the LAPD. McDonnell said he fully supports expanding the department’s “civilianization” with more civilian specialists handling mental-health calls. The LAPD union endorsed the use of unarmed responders for mental-health calls back in 2020, and former Mayor Karen Bass launched the CIRCLE programme (Crisis and Incident Response through Community-led Engagement) in 2022, using trained responders for some crisis calls. Whether Raman will expand CIRCLE or create a new initiative is not yet clear; her spokesperson did not respond to The California Post’s questions.

The chief’s future is still undecided

Raman campaigned on a pledge to replace McDonnell, who is seeking to stay on. After the meeting, McDonnell said “the mayor is in alignment with the way we’re doing business” on issues such as people experiencing a mental-health crisis. Raman takes office on Dec. 14. After the election, McDonnell said in a statement that “while elected leadership may change, the mission of the Los Angeles Police Department remains constant: to protect and serve our communities, reduce crime, and strengthen public trust.”

(Sources: The California Post; Police1.)