Milwaukee moves carefully on shift in 911 call handling

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — The city of Milwaukee is moving slowly toward diverting some 911 calls away from police.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that a police department task force formed for the purpose has been given a new name and an extended deadline to give the city council a report with recommendations.

That’s now April 30. The task force is to focus on 911 calls involving mental health, substance abuse and homelessness.

It includes people from the city’s police and fire departments, the Fire and Police Commission, the Office of Violence Prevention, county mental health and other experts. Many have expertise in mental health.

Police departments in Milwaukee and elsewhere have come under pressure to rethink policing in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis last year at the hands of police. One idea is answering more 911 calls with trained professionals rather than armed police.

Alderman Nik Kovac, a co-sponsor of the task force, and other aldermen have said alternative responses to some 911 calls using civilian staff could result in lower costs than using sworn police staff to respond.

“It’s both to save money and be more just and treat people more humanely,” Kovac told the Journal Sentinel.

By next spring, it will be 18 months since the council directed several city agencies to collaborate on alternative responses to 911 calls. Kovac said he understands if people are impatient, but said the process needs to be careful so it will work.