JUNE 1, 2023
The Lens In-depth news and investigations for New Orleans
This week, New Orleans will finally launch a program that sends specialized teams of mental health professionals to respond to non-violent behavioral health emergencies.
The city receives thousands of such 911 calls every year – and in the past, police have primarily responded to them. But studies show that people with serious mental illness are more likely to be killed by police and that mental-health conditions can be exacerbated by squad-car lights, sirens and arrests.