The city of Phoenix continues to have more emergency response calls handled by mental health specialists rather than police officers.
Recent hiring has helped the city reach its goal of a behavioral health 911 dispatcher being staffed 24/7 as of Monday, March 31 as well as to staff additional response units. The city plans to hire additional teams of mental health response units this year and next.
Vice Mayor Ann O’Brien and Councilmember Kevin Robinson congratulated staff on reaching the goal of 24/7 dispatch coverage after staff’s presentation during last week’s Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee meeting.
