07/30/2026
Baltimore is changing 911 so a call for help doesn't automatically bring police.
The city is expanding a program that sends trained civilian responders to people experiencing mental health crises, addiction, homelessness or other problems that do not require police, firefighters or paramedics.
Instead of arriving with badges, guns and handcuffs, teams can include a mental health clinician and a peer counselor.
They assess what the person needs and connect them with services such as psychiatric care, therapy, housing assistance, legal support, addiction treatment and case management.
In one case, a woman experiencing severe emotional distress called 911 after an earlier attempt to reach a hospital ended with her being arrested.
This time, a dispatcher sent a mobile crisis team. Within an hour, the team had connected her with a psychiatrist, therapist, legal assistance and support for her child with autism.
Baltimore received 1.68 million calls to 911 in 2024, but officials say tens of thousands involved situations that did not require a traditional emergency response.
Examples include someone sleeping inside a store, a confused person in a park or a person shouting in public.
Sending police to these calls can lead to unnecessary arrests, trauma and jail time without addressing the underlying problem.
Baltimore already diverts some mental health calls, but the expanded service will operate around the clock and respond to a broader range of crises.
The city has allocated $15 million from roughly $400 million received through opioid-related legal settlements to help fund the expansion.
Baltimore is drawing lessons from Durham, North Carolina, where the HEART program says it diverted more than 12,000 calls over four years.
Police backup was reportedly required in only 0.02% of those calls, while non-police responders helped people find shelter, arrange medical care and access other services.
Learn more:
"Baltimore will turn 911 into more than just an emergency number." NPR
