City Council Adopts Nonarmed Crisis-Response Framework After Public Testimony

The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to adopt measures creating and expanding nonarmed crisis-response services, approving amendments to items on the agenda after public comment and council debate.

Councilmember Consuelo Hernández, a co-sponsor of the motion, framed the change as both a public-safety and fiscal decision. Hernández said the nonarmed response program had answered more than 18,000 calls since 2024 and estimated annual coverage costs at about $45,000,000 — a figure she contrasted with roughly $56,000,000 the city has paid in settlements and related costs tied to armed responses. "We should be investing in interventions that preserve life and that are fiscally responsible," Hernández said.

Supporters told the council the program would redirect calls that do not require police or fire response to teams trained in mental-health and social-service interventions. Hernández urged a study by the Department of Community Safety to design staffing and dispatch protocols and asked the council to adopt the motion as a baseline for citywide expansion.

During debate, council members voiced support for layered public-safety strategies and urged careful implementation to maintain continuity with emergency responders. After opening and closing the roll, the council voted to adopt item 48 with the amendment; item 49 (a companion or implementing measure) was also adopted with an amendment, with the presiding official reporting all members in favor.

The actions adopted direct staff to continue developing operational details and to return with further recommendations; the motion also requested cost and dispatch studies to clarify staffing levels and coverage areas. The council did not specify an immediate start date in the motion; staff follow-up and further committee work were requested as next steps.