“We’re not clerical workers: We’re first responders,” said one 10-year veteran dispatcher. “We take one million calls every year. We’re undervalued.”
911
Posted inMental Health
Non-Cop Response Teams Handled Just 16% of 911 Mental Health Crisis Calls
Fewer psychiatric emergencies got a response from B-HEARD squads this year than in 2021 debut — but Mayor Eric Adams is still forging ahead with expansion of what he calls a “successful pilot.”
Posted inMental Health
What’s the 411 on 988? New National Mental Health Hotline Rebrands NYC Efforts
As part of a federal law signed by Trump in 2020, callers will be able to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and its local outposts simply by dialing 988. In the city, those calls are plugging into the existing NYC Well.
Posted in911
NYPD Crime Response Time Still Lags Three Months Post-Protest
A review by THE CITY finds police take a full minute longer than a year ago to respond to shootings and other crisis incidents, while ambulances now arrive faster than before.
Posted inPublic Safety
New York City Quietly Activates 911 Text-Message System Amid George Floyd Protests
New York City’s long-promised interim 911 texting system went live Tuesday morning, THE CITY has learned, though officials aren’t advertising it amid ongoing protests and unrest over the death of George Floyd. The de Blasio administration initially vowed to have the technology — intended to primarily serve deaf or hard of hearing people, and domestic […]
Posted inPublic Safety
City Hall Makes $147.5 Million Call on Overhauling 911
Sign up for “THE CITY Scoop,” our daily newsletter where we send you stories like this first thing in the morning. The de Blasio administration has tapped a digital firm to revamp the city’s 911 system — the same company that’s already behind and over budget on creating a temporary text option for emergency callers. […]
Posted inPublic Safety
San Antonio ‘Crisis Cops’ Deliver NYPD Lessons on Dealing with Mentally Ill
Sign up for “THE CITY Scoop,” our daily newsletter where we send you stories like this first thing in the morning. When veteran cops Joe Smarro and Ernie Stevens respond to a potentially volatile 911 call involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis, they’re usually not wearing the uniform of the San Antonio Police […]
Posted inPublic Safety
City’s Delayed Response on 911 Overhaul Declared an Emergency
Sign up for “THE CITY Scoop,” our daily newsletter where we send you stories like this first thing in the morning. City lawmakers and advocates for the deaf called on the de Blasio administration Tuesday to speed up its delayed 911 overhaul, saying the issue is a matter of life or death. A planned state-of-the-art […]
Posted inJustice
Mayor’s Mental Health Crisis Response Offers Weak Dose of Care, Advocates Warn
Sign up for “THE CITY Scoop,” our daily newsletter where we send you stories like this first thing in the morning. It’s been 18 months since Eric Vassell lost his son Saheed to the police shooting that spurred Mayor Bill de Blasio’s vow to overhaul how the NYPD deals with people experiencing mental health crises. […]
Posted inHealth
No More EDPs: NYPD’s Emergency Plan to Deal with Mentally Ill New Yorkers
Sign up for “THE CITY Scoop,” our daily newsletter where we send you stories like this first thing in the morning. Trained mental health workers will finally start joining cops responding to 911 calls in a bid to reduce deadly encounters between the NYPD and New Yorkers experiencing psychiatric crises. Police will no longer refer […]