Dispatching Community Responders to 911 Calls

This video compares three principal models cities are using for community responder dispatch and shares lessons learned from successful programs in Atlanta, Denver, and Austin, Texas.

Advancing Racial Equity and Justice, Criminal Justice Reform, Public Safety, Racial Equity and Community-Informed Policies +1 More

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Gaby Blanco

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Rafael Medina

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Government Affairs

Peter Gordon

Senior Director, Government Affairs

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U.S. cities typically rely on police as the default responders to a wide range of 911 calls for low-risk situations that involve conflict resolution, behavioral health, homelessness, service needs, or quality-of-life concerns. This practice diverts resources away from serious and violent crime and overlooks many of the underlying social needs that drive people to call 911 from the start. Some cities address these issues by dispatching community responder teams to low-risk 911 calls instead of police.

A report from the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, the Center for American Progress, and the Policing Project at New York University School of Law offers recommendations on how cities can adapt their 911 dispatch policies and practices to better integrate community responder teams.

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.

Authors

Rachael Eisenberg

Former Managing Director, Rights and Justice

Center For American Progress

Amos Irwin

Program Director

Law Enforcement Action Partnership

Freya Rigterink

Executive Director

The Policing Project

Producers

Matthew Gossage

Former Events Video Producer

Center For American Progress

Hai-Lam Phan

Managing Director, Creative

Center For American Progress

Toni Pandolfo

Video Producer

Center For American Progress

Team

Public Safety

Protecting people from crime is one of the government’s most fundamental and urgent responsibilities. However, the current reality is that too many crimes go unsolved and too many victims lack justice. The Center for American Progress is committed to advancing evidence-based policies that keep individuals safe by solving crime when it happens, ensuring swift and certain accountability for those who harm others, and preventing crime in the first place.