Posted on 11/28/2023
The City Council approved a Public Safety Committee report relative to the development of the City’s Alternative Response Framework and the implementation of the Unarmed Model of Crisis Response (UMCR) pilot program. The UMCR consists of teams that respond to non-emergency call scenarios with social services components — such as mental health, substance abuse, suicide threat, behavioral distress, conflict resolution, and welfare check. The program, which is set to launch early next year, will be operational in three Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) areas: Southeast, Devonshire, and Wilshire. These regions were selected based on resource’s availability and the feasibility of non-profit partners.
In addition to the development of UMCR, the report provides a breakdown of nearly $78 million in funding allocated to alternative response programs like Therapeutic Van Pilot, Crisis Incident Response and Community-led Engagement (CIRCLE), UMCR, and more. As part of one of the recommendations, the Council directed LAPD to perform an audit of 9-1-1 calls to gain insight which can guide the committee on which calls should be diverted to unarmed teams. To read the full report, please click here.