Los Angeles is expanding a program that sends mental health professionals to deal with non-violent incidents instead of police.
Mayor Karen Bass announced Monday that CIRCLE — an acronym that stands for Crisis and Incident Response through Community-led Engagement — has added the Westside to its area of operation.
CIRCLE has already been operating in Hollywood, downtown Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, Venice, the Harbor Area and the San Fernando Valley. Over the last year, more than 14,000 calls were diverted to CIRCLE, Bass’ office said in a news release.
“CIRCLE teams placed hundreds of individuals into interim housing, reconnected individuals back to their families, obtained permanent supportive housing placements, assisted more than 1,600 individuals in obtaining vital documents such as social security cards and IDs, referred more than 1,000 individuals to mental and behavioral health services, and reversed opioid-related overdoses,” the release added.
Now, the Westside — specifically Oakwood, Mar Vista, Palms, Playa Vista, Playa Del Rey, Westchester, Manchester Square and Dockweiler Beach — will also see non-violent 911 mental health calls diverted to “mental health workers and individuals with lived experience to provide help and assistance for unhoused individuals experiencing crisis.”
The Los Angeles Police Department officers who traditionally responded to such incidents will instead be more available “to focus on fighting crime,” Bass’ office said.
“We are responding to the mental health crisis with solutions that are long-term and sustainable,” said Bass. “At the same time, we are freeing up our LAPD officers to fight crime. Our work does not stop here. We will continue working on this important issue and continue to make our city safer.”
To reach CIRCLE, call 877-ASK-LAPD (877-275-5273) and select “non-emergency dispatch.”