By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• Baltimore will use more than $1 million in federal grant funding to launch a 911 diversion program to reduce unnecessary emergency responses, city officials said.
• The grant is from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and aims to support alternatives to traditional police dispatch for certain calls.
• The program will connect 911 callers with community-based responders and social services when appropriate, officials said.
• Officials said the initiative seeks to improve outcomes and reduce burden on patrol officers for non-criminal calls.
• Implementation details and timeline for the diversion program have not yet been finalized.
BALTIMORE, MD — Baltimore city officials said they will allocate more than $1 million in federal grant funding to launch a 911 diversion program designed to connect certain emergency callers with community-based responders and services instead of law enforcement.
The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and is aimed at supporting alternatives to traditional police dispatch for calls involving mental health, homelessness, substance use or other non-criminal needs.
Under the planned program, trained community responders and social service professionals will be paired with 911 dispatch to assist callers who may benefit from non-law-enforcement intervention, officials said.
City leaders said the initiative is intended to improve outcomes for individuals in crisis and reduce the workload on patrol officers by diverting certain calls away from traditional police response.
Officials have not yet finalized implementation details or a timeline for launching the diversion program, and further planning with community partners is underway.