New York City to try sending crisis workers on mental health calls rather than police

New York City is launching a pilot program in February where mental health and crisis workers will be sent to emergency mental health calls instead of police officers.

"For the first time in our city's history, health responders will be the default responders for a person in crisis, making sure those struggling with mental illness receive the help they need," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement on Tuesday.

The responders will be from new teams out of the Fire Department's Emergency Medical Services unit, Reuters reports, and will have the ability to help in situations like suicide attempts and drug abuse. The pilot program will start out in two unnamed "high-need" neighborhoods. In cases where there are weapons involved or there is an "imminent risk of harm," a police officer will also be sent.

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In New York, police officers and emergency medical technicians respond to most 911 calls involving mental health issues. During recent anti-police brutality protests, demonstrators have been asking for a change, saying when police show up at a mental health call it can escalate the situation, sometimes violently. The New York pilot program is being modeled off of what is done in Eugene, Oregon, where unarmed mental health professionals respond to calls rather than police.