Many big US cities now answer mental health crisis calls with civilian teams — not police

911 dispatch trainee Loren Bengston works at a computer in Denver on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. The city's STAR program uses clinicians and EMTs or paramedics to respond to nonviolent mental health crises, instead of police. Data gathered by The Associated Press show at least 14 of the 20 most populous U.S. cities are hosting or starting such programs, sometimes called civilian, alternative or non-police response teams. They span from New York and Los Angeles to Columbus, Ohio, and Houston, and boast annual budgets that together topped $123 million as of June 2023, the AP found. (Thomas Peipert/AP Photo)