A showdown in Cleveland over proposed Tanisha's Law
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Cleveland City Council is pushing to pass legislation early next year that would send clinicians, not police, to certain mental health emergencies.
Why it matters: The debate over "Tanisha's Law" has exposed a sharp divide between the council and Mayor Justin Bibb's administration.
The big picture: The legislation is named for Tanisha Anderson, a 37-year-old woman who died in 2014 after Cleveland police restrained her during a mental health crisis.
- Her death helped trigger the federal consent decree. But a decade later, council members say Cleveland still lacks the basic infrastructure needed to prevent similar tragedies.
Zoom in: The plan would create a standalone Department of Community Crisis Response, staffed with specially trained dispatchers and licensed clinicians who could be sent to 911 calls where an armed response isn't needed.
The other side: The Bibb administration says it supports the spirit of the law but opposes creating a new department, arguing the city should expand existing crisis programs or partner with a third party.
- Officials also want to wait for a long-delayed analysis of 911 calls, authorized two years ago but never started.
The latest: After hours of testimony at a public safety hearing last week, council sponsors Rebecca Maurer, Charles Slife and Stephanie Howse-Jones expressed frustration, saying the administration's objections keep moving the goalposts.
What she's saying: In a detailed memo prepared as she leaves office, Maurer rebuked the administration point-by-point. She wrote that:
- The consent decree does not prohibit Cleveland from establishing a clinician-only crisis team.
- Existing Crisis Intervention Training for police officers and a local "care response" pilot are insufficient for Cleveland's needs. "Crisis response must be integrated into 911 dispatch."
- The city does not need the 911 call analysis completed before launching its program. Information gleaned from the analysis could "set the ceiling" for an eventual budget, "but is not necessary at all to set the floor."
What's next: Public Safety Chair Mike Polensek says the council will move ahead in early 2026.
- "The train's leaving the station," he told the administration. "You can either get on board, or get run over."