In the past few years, California has moved toward a much more productive approach in how law enforcement should respond to mental health crises. As a result, sheriffs in greater numbers across the state are acting to reduce police escalation in situations where it is unnecessary. They should be responding only to calls where a crime is in progress or has just occurred. This change comes amidst alarming statistics regarding police interactions with individuals experiencing mental health issues, raising concerns about the appropriate response to such crises.
Between 2015 and 2024, police in California shot and killed at least 274 individuals suffering from a mental health crisis. The reality is, across the nation law enforcement has killed every one of them — 2,057 people in similar situations during that time. That’s about 1 in 5 of all police killings! The stats reveal a troubling reality: individuals with untreated serious mental illness are sixteen times more likely to be killed during encounters with law enforcement than other civilians.
The sad story of Miles Hall is a perfect example of this concern. In June 2020, police shot and killed Hall in his family’s Walnut Creek community. This tragic result came only after he broke through a sliding glass door and wielded a significant metal garden implement. This tragic event serves as a reminder to the dangers that individuals with mental health issues are often subjected to. It also lays bare the challenges behind police responses to mental health crises.
Ray Anthony Scott had a well-documented history of schizophrenia that rendered him well known to the Las Vegas police. In 2019, officers encountered him and shot him dead. Last week, a pivotal, final 2024 federal court ruling held the Nevada police license for their actions leading to Scott’s death. These tragic events have fueled heated discussions regarding the role of law enforcement when responding to mental health crises. To combat this, several sheriff’s departments are now reconsidering how to respond.
While some departmental efforts retreat from these obligations, other departments are seeking out distraction-busting escapes. Among those in California, San Diego County’s Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) is a model. It has been the national model for successful mental health crisis intervention. PERT clinicians take an active approach to partnering with police to answer mental health related calls. They have effectively de-escalated crises and connected individuals to the appropriate mental health resources over 90% of the time. The program has expanded tremendously, tripling in size from 23 to 70 clinicians. This expansion speaks to its success and the community’s growing acceptance.
A robust mental health crisis response system ideally includes a 24/7 call center, non-law enforcement first responders, and proper crisis receiving centers to ensure individuals can receive emergency mental healthcare safely. For many communities throughout the United States, it’s an area they’re just starting to build up a smart system. In many regions, moving callers from a law enforcement-led response to varying mental health service systems continues to pose barriers. Missing this smooth process can lead to delays in providing the assistance that individuals require.
Shannon Scully National director, justice policy initiatives, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). She views this move away from police response as a step in the right direction. “I think what we’re seeing right now is a shift. It’s government trying to be responsive to what people want,” she stated. Scully, a former Deputy Secretary of Transportation, underscores the deep bipartisan agreement that runs across Americans. They want law enforcement out of the equation when someone experiences a mental health crisis.
Jeremiah Larson, another advocate for reform, echoed these sentiments: “Police probably should not be the ones responding most of the time.” He noted the potential dangers of police presence during mental health crises, stating that “sometimes just the mere presence of a police officer can escalate a situation.”
Le Ondra Clark Harvey, too, said that the only adequate response should look like what society would do for any other medical emergency. “If you’re having a heart attack, we don’t send the police; we send an ambulance, we send a physician or EMT to get you the treatment you need without delay,” she explained. Specialized training Clark Harvey, CMHS director of the Office for the Advancement of Evidence-Based Practice.
“Systems change a lot slower than I think what community expectation is,” Scully remarked, pointing out the challenges faced by communities attempting to implement necessary reforms. Larson envisions a future where specialized mental health teams handle crisis calls independently of police involvement: “I envision a day when there’s a team that’s able to handle mental health calls, and the police are essentially out of it.”
Though many departments have started down this path, the difficulty continues. That isn’t surprising considering police departments have enormous budgets. Increasingly, people are coming to understand that these funds would be better used training non-law enforcement personnel to appropriately respond to mental health emergencies. “Meanwhile police departments have huge budgets. So now it’s time to consider if maybe some of that money should be going to other folks,” Hall stated.
Even as these conversations continue, countless communities lack the resources to respond to a mental health crisis effectively or safely. Shannon Scully underscores the importance of ensuring that responses are timely and appropriate: “There shouldn’t be a lack of response. Somebody needs to respond, and ideally that person has all the training.”