Statewide polling shows a large majority of Californians want major changes in the way police and emergency services respond to 911 calls. The Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll of 92-hundred registered voters finds 69-percent say they want behavioral health professionals to respond to non-life threatening situations. About half of those say the crisis specialists should respond “with” police, the other half say no cops should be involved. Nineteen-percent of respondents want only law enforcement to respond but think they should receive additional training. Poll directors say the feelings are consistent across region, income, age, race, and political party, suggesting an opportunity for bipartisan solutions. Here in Santa Rosa, the inRESPONSE Mental Health Support Team responds to a portion of the city’s 9-1-1 calls with a mental health first approach. The program has been operating since January 2022.
Poll: Californians Want Changes to 911 Responses
