Oakland moves to put fire department in charge of mental health response calls, not police [eastbaytimes.com]

Rafael Maravilla(PACEs Connection Staff) 3/4/2111:25 AM

By Annie Sciacca, East Bay Times, March 3, 2021

When someone has a mental health crisis in Oakland, chances are good in the near future that police officers won’t be showing up to try to calm them down.

The City Council this week unanimously signaled that it wants the fire department to handle mental health crises and other non-crime calls by sending out paramedics and counselors.

Although residents of Oakland and other cities have long discussed the benefit of dispatching special teams of civilians to deescalate tense situations, the idea picked up momentum in the wake of high-profile police killings of Black Americans and other people of color..

[Please click here to read more.]

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