According to HealthDay (6/13, Norton), Denver’s “‘radical’ approach to handling low-level 911 calls – sending mental health professionals rather than police – may have taken a bite out of crime,” investigators concluded after evaluating that city’s “STAR program, which removed police from the response to select 911 calls…involving a nonviolent person suffering from a mental health or substance abuse crisis.” The study revealed “a 34% reduction in less serious crimes, such as trespassing and disorderly conduct, over the program’s six-month test run.” The findings were published online June 8 in the journal Science Advances.
Related Links:
— “For 911 Calls, Are Mental Health Specialists Often the Better Choice? “Amy Norton, HealthDay, June 13, 2022