"Shift in Crisis Response: City Tackles Mental Health with New Office In a significant move towards community-led crisis intervention, the city has announced the creation of a new office, led by Deputy Mayor Renita Francois, with the goal of dispatching mental health professionals to emergency situations instead of police officers. This innovative approach aims to address the growing concern of police response to mental health crises, which can often escalate situations and lead to tragic outcomes. By providing trained mental health professionals to respond to emergency calls, the city hopes to reduce the risk of violence and provide more effective support to those in crisis. As the city continues to grapple with the complexities of mental health and policing, this new office represents a promising step towards a more compassionate and effective response to crisis situations."
Deputy Mayor Renita Francois will lead a new office that plans to dispatch more mental health professionals instead of police.
