Issue 5 will create a community crisis response that will enhance 911 calls for nonviolent crises.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Voters approved a measure proposed to change the way first responders respond to mental health emergencies.
Issue 5 will create a community crisis response that will enhance 911 calls for nonviolent crises pertaining to behavioral health, wellness checks, homelessness and others by dispatching a team of trained non-police responders, including clinicians, social workers, peer supports and EMTs.
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It also establishes an advisory board to evaluate and work with the entire crisis response system.
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Organizers said the measure would reduce violence and save lives without raising taxes, providing an appropriate care response to improve outcomes and make sure residents feel safe when asking for help.
“Public safety has never been static. It has always evolved with every generation to meet the realities of its time,” Council President Shannon Hardin said in a statement. “Today, as we confront rising mental health, homelessness, and substance use crises, this charter amendment is the latest chapter on the long arc that bends towards justice and progress.”
Councilmember Emmanuel Remy, chair of the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee, said enabling clinicians and social workers to lead certain calls will allow law enforcement officers to focus more on violent crime.
“Every resident who calls us in crisis should get the specialized response they deserve,” Remy said.
Leaders must develop a plan for the community crisis response system to be operational by Feb. 1, 2028, and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by Feb. 1, 2030.
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