Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mental Health Response topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Families describe delayed crisis responses; council asks city, county and police to coordinate
Summary
A Vallejo parent described repeated failures to obtain timely police response and documentation during severe mental‑health episodes involving her adult son. City staff, police and an iHeart responder explained legal limits of 5150 holds, documentation policies, and recommended a coordinated county‑city action item; council asked for a report and a plan.
A Vallejo resident told the public‑safety committee that repeated calls to 911 for her adult son — who she said suffers from schizophrenia and has displayed violent and threatening behavior — resulted in inconsistent responses and, in some cases, no police reports.
"What are families supposed to do in situations like this?" the commenter asked, describing delays in response, incidents involving knives and erratic behavior near a playground, and instances when officers did not generate a report. She said the family had followed dispatch instructions but that requests for records were sometimes closed for insufficient information.
Council members asked the police and city attorney’s office to clarify roles and response protocols. An official from the city attorney’s office (who identified herself as Veronica) said the city attorney’s office provides legal support and coordination but does not conduct enforcement. Police representatives described the state 51‑50 (welfare‑and‑institution) standard used to place someone on an involuntary hold: officers must determine risk of harm to self, harm to others, or grave disability before initiating the hold. The department said county mobile crisis teams (Solano County Behavioral Health) have clinicians who can conduct the clinical assessment and that iHeart is an alternative responder with EMTs and medics able to transport or refer individuals when consent is given.
An iHeart representative told the committee that iHeart can document interactions and share reports with families when appropriate release of information is provided, but that the provider’s capacity for clinical assessment is limited and involuntary holds usually require county clinicians.
Council directed staff to bring the issue back on the public‑safety agenda with county partners and requested a report from the city attorney about additional legal tools (including care‑court options) and a plan for a coordinated response that could include county clinicians, iHeart, police and nonprofit advocacy partners.
