L.A. County seeks to divert MH crisis calls from law enforcement

Los Angeles County is expanding a program that diverts some non-violent 911 calls for service to 988, the national suicide and mental health crisis lifeline, reported LAist, a nonprofit news organization, on Aug. 26. Calls related to mental health crises made to the sheriff's Century Station will now be diverted to counselors trained on de-escalation at Didi Hirsch, the nonprofit that runs 988 call centers in the LA County region. The program is already in effect at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) Lancaster station and at police departments in the cities of South Gate and Pomona. “By connecting 911 to the mental crisis hotline, we are ensuring that law enforcement and first responders can focus on keeping our neighborhoods safe while mental health professionals can step in to support those who need them,” said L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn, whose district includes the LASD Century Station in Lynwood, in a statement. It's part of a growing effort across the county to relieve law enforcement officers from responses to mental health crisis calls. A 2024 LAist investigation found that between 2017 and 2023, 31% of shootings by Los Angeles city police (LAPD) involved a person perceived by officers to be living with mental illness or experiencing a mental health crisis, according to annual use-of-force reports. A similar effort with LAPD diverted about 1,400 calls for service in 2024 alone. Counselors were able to handle 97% of those calls without law enforcement involvement, Didi Hirsch CEO Lyn Morris told LAist. Officials said the plan is to expand the 911 diversion effort to the Lakewood station later this year.