ONE BIG THING: UNARMED CRISIS RESPONSE EXPANDS
What Happened?
Last month, Los Angeles expanded its Unarmed Model of Crisis Response (UMCR) into three additional police divisions: Topanga, North Hollywood, and Rampart.
That brings the total to 9 of LA’s 21 police divisions now covered by UMCR teams —including 3 of the 5 divisions serving our district. The other two divisions are covered by the CIRCLE program – a different unarmed response program focusing on homelessness issues.
Why it Matters
Two years in, the overwhelming success of this program is impossible to ignore.
The program has diverted more than 22,000 calls away from LAPD and LAFD, with fewer than 5% requiring backup or redirection.
That means thousands of situations involving mental health crises and other non-violent needs are being handled by trained clinicians and outreach workers instead of armed responders. It also means tens of thousands of hours freed up for firefighters and police officers to focus on life-threatening emergencies and serious crime.
What’s Next?
This week, the Mayor released a new budget proposal as the city continues to deal with a challenging financial outlook. The proposed budget maintains funding to keep the Unarmed Model of Crisis Response operating in its current 9 divisions, allowing the program to continue building on its momentum.
Still, the bigger question remains: how to spend limited dollars most effectively?
It’s more than 2x as cost effective to send unarmed responders to a call vs armed police officers. In a constrained budget, this could present an opportunity to expand UMCR so we can reduce costs elsewhere in the system, from emergency response workloads to overtime.
As the former Interim LAFD Chief told the Public Safety Committee last year:
“If you could fund that even more—the Unarmed Model of Crisis Response—that program would be helping us out immensely if it could grow bigger than what it is right now.”
We encourage residents to follow the budget process throughout the next month. Click here to view the hearing schedule, and you can view the Budget Hearings on the City Clerk’s YouTube Channel.
Three More Quick Hits
- Two Dozen Angelenos Helped off the Streets into Safe, Stable Housing
We helped 24 people who were living in encampments and RVs in Echo Park into safe, stable housing with the help of the Mayor’s Inside Safe team.
While the move indoors happened quickly, it was made possible by weeks of outreach to build trust and connect people with the services they need. As homelessness continues to decline in our district because of these kinds of interventions, we need to keep expanding housing options and mental health/addiction services to meet the needs of the people still living on the street.
- Thai New Year & World Record Pad Thai Attempt! 🍜
Come by the Songkran Festival this Sunday in Thai Town—one of LA’s best annual celebrations, with free performances, Muay Thai fights, art, and plenty of incredible food.
And this year, they’re going big: an attempt at the Guinness World Record for most Pad Thai sold in one hour (1,200 is the goal!)
The festival runs 8am–11pm, with the record attempt starting at 11:30am. 🇹🇭
Click here for more information!
- Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day
Yesterday marked Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day — 111 years since the attempted erasure of the Armenian people that resulted in the deaths of 1.5 million women, men, and children.
We remember the lives lost, honor the resilience of the Armenian people, and stand in solidarity with Armenian communities in Los Angeles, Armenia, Artsakh, and around the world. 🇦🇲