LAPD to send unarmed officials to respond to ‘non-criminal’ 911 calls

President of the Los Angeles Police Protective League Craig Lally said officers are often sent to respond to too many calls that may be better suited for unarmed service providers and that the union has been working with the City of Los Angeles to develop the list.

Union reps say this will help with the department’s “chronic understaffing” and could ease concerns from the public regarding armed officers responding all calls for service.

Other cities have attempted similar strategies with mixed results. In 2020, while the Seattle City Council was voting to defund the police in the wake of the death of George Floyd and allocate money to social workers, a social worker was stabbed to death by a homeless client at a social services agency.

That same year, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced that non-criminal calls would be handled by “trained, unarmed professionals,” rather than armed police officers modeled after a similar program that’s already been operating in Eugene, Oregon.

Cities such as San Francisco and Seattle have faced record crime since enacting the practice.

The union has agreed to work with the city and the department to develop protocols if an armed response becomes necessary after the first unarmed response has already been deployed.

A date has not yet been announced of when armed officers would stop responding to these calls, or which unarmed responders would be responding to the calls in the future.

The union is scheduled to hold a press conference to discuss the list and next steps Wednesday at 11:30 am at the union headquarters in Westlake. According to KTLA, the list includes:

1. Non-criminal and/or non-violent homeless and quality of life-related calls;

2. Non-criminal mental health calls;

3. Non-violent juvenile disturbance or juveniles beyond parental control calls; (won’t go to school);

4. Calls to schools unless the school administration is initiating a call for an emergency police response or making a mandatory reporting notification;

5. Public Health Order violations;

6. Non-violent calls for service at City parks;

7. Under the influence calls (alcohol and/or drugs) where there is no other crime in progress;

8. Welfare Check – WELCK; • Non-Criminal; • Courtesy request from Drs/Hospitals;

9. Non-Fatal Vehicle Accidents; • Non-DUI/Non-Criminal; Property damage only (including City property), Verbal disputes involving non-injury traffic collisions, refusing to share ID at traffic collisions;

10. Parking violations;

11. Driveway tow;

12. Abandoned vehicles;

13. Person dumping trash;

14. Vicious and dangerous dog complaints where no attack is in progress;

15. Calls for service for loud noise, loud music, or ‘party’ calls that are anonymous or have no victim;

16. Landlord/Tenant Disputes;

17. Loitering/Trespassing With No Indication Of Danger;

18. Code 30 Alarm Response (except 211 silent alarm);

19. Syringe Disposal;

20. DOT Stand-By;

21. Homeless Encampment Clean-Ups, unless officers are requested or prescheduled;

22. Panhandling;

23. Illegal Vending;

24. Illegal Gambling;

25. Fireworks;

26. Defecating/Urinating In Public;

27. Drinking in Public;

28. Suspicious circs-possible dead body, where no indication of foul play.