What's next for Columbus' new non-police 911 response team
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Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
Following Issue 5's passage earlier in May, Columbus now has just under four years to establish an entirely non-police 911 response team.
Why it matters: The team of trained behavioral health experts will respond to nonviolent emergencies to offer help and connect callers with resources.
How it works: The rollout will be gradual, with a Feb. 1, 2028, deadline for establishing the city's Civilian Response Team.
- By Feb. 1, 2030, it must operate 24/7.
The first step: Taking applications for an advisory board to guide the process, as required by the voter-approved city charter amendment.
- The board will be "instrumental in figuring out the protocol," Columbus Public Health commissioner Mysheika Roberts tells Axios.
- There's no deadline for appointments, Roberts says.
After that, the city will begin hiring team members, training and preparing for launch.
Follow the money: Issue 5 didn't specify a cost, but the city invested an additional $1 million toward the effort in its latest annual budget.
The big picture: The Civilian Response Team will join existing 911 alternative crisis response programs and will be the first to be staffed 24/7 when it's fully operational.
- Its creation coincides with the ongoing expansion of Franklin County's new Crisis Care Center, which serves adults experiencing mental and behavioral health crises.
- First responders transport about 45% of patients to the facility.
The bottom line: "Police can't be everywhere and do everything," Roberts says. "We need to make sure that our community gets the response that they need when they need it."