Mental Health Workers Could Respond Differently To 911 Calls Than Police

When Illinois resident Sonya Massey called 911, she wanted help with a potential prowler. Instead, a police officer shot and killed her in her home. Illinois State Police released bodycam footage to the public this week, leading to renewed calls for police reform and accountability, as well as alternatives to police responses. A growing number of cities are redirecting some 9-1-1 calls to unarmed crisis workers, rather than police. One new program just launched in Evanston, and Chicago is continuing to pilot another approach. Reset checks in with a panel about these alternatives. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.