LOS ANGELES, CA — In a major step toward transforming the City’s public safety infrastructure, Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Bob Blumenfield today introduced a joint motion to permanently adopt the Unarmed Model of Crisis Response (UMCR) and establish a centralized dispatch system to streamline alternative emergency services citywide.
“By every measure — moral, operational, and fiscal — an unarmed, care-first response model works,” said Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez. “It resolves crises without use of force, frees up sworn officers for serious emergencies, and costs taxpayers a fraction of the price. At a time when our city is facing a serious budget crisis, now more than ever, we must take these lessons and build a permanent, citywide safety department that makes care-first response the standard for all of Los Angeles.”
Since its pilot launch in 2024, the UMCR program has proven to be a resounding success. The program responded to more than 17,000 calls for service, with over 96% resolved without police involvement. The success of the program has allowed thousands of LAPD patrol hours toward serious and violent emergencies. By treating public health and public safety as integrated fields rather than isolated silos, the UMCR has demonstrated that it can connect Angelenos in distress to housing, mental health care, and peer support.
"As we continue taking concrete steps to make Unarmed Crisis Response a Citywide fixture in Los Angeles, creating an integrated dispatch system is the next step toward our shared goal," said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield. "While we’ve learned a lot through the results of the pilot we launched last year, we also confirmed critical facts— UMCR works, it saves lives and it’s cost effective."
This transition is as much a matter of fiscal responsibility as it is a life-saving necessity. On average, it costs taxpayers roughly $85 per hour to deploy LAPD officers, whereas the same response from a specialized UMCR team costs approximately $35 per hour —a critical distinction as the City navigates a mounting budget crisis. Additionally, deploying armed officers to non-violent calls is a constant liability, costing the City of millions of dollars in legal settlements. Given that 35% of officer-involved shootings in 2023 involved individuals in a mental health crisis, this unarmed transition to a permanent care-first model is the only path forward that protects both the lives of Angelenos and taxpayers' resources that could go towards other life-saving resources.
The legislation specifically addresses findings from a June 2025 report from the City Administrative Officer, which identified significant technical hurdles that sometimes slow down the dispatch process. UMCR calls are initially received through 911 or 877-ASK-LAPD and then transferred to UMCR dispatch. Right now, the absence of integrated systems and real-time data interoperability limits operational efficiency and service outcomes. Improving real-time data sharing would help teams respond faster, strengthen accountability, and save lives. To advance this work, the proposed Working Group will include representatives from LAPD, LAFD, CIRCLE, and UMCR to develop an informed, technology-integrated framework.
The motion also addresses the 2025-2026 City Budget’s instruction to report on the new Department of Community Safety and requests a status update on its creation. The proposed department would house all unarmed response functions, providing a formal structure for interagency accountability and ending the current patchwork of independent programs.
The legislative process for this motion will include a robust community engagement phase so that residents, neighborhood groups, and service providers can have a direct say in how this new safety infrastructure is built. The motion is expected to be referred to the Ad Hoc Committee on Unarmed Crisis Prevention Intervention before returning to Council for a full vote.
Read the full motion here.