2021 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 130
BY SENATOR JACKSON
A RESOLUTION
To create a task force to study the implementation of a partnership between law enforcement
agencies and safety net hospitals in order to reduce or eliminate incidents of law
enforcement officers handling nonviolent calls or behavioral or social crises where
no crime has been committed.
WHEREAS, law enforcement officers spend a considerable amount of their time
responding to low-priority 911 calls related to quality-of-life issues or social service needs;
and
WHEREAS, many of these calls could be safely resolved by trained civilians
experienced in finding long-term solutions to the root causes of community concerns; and
WHEREAS, law enforcement officers who respond to mental health crises may not
be trained to communicate with the person in crisis or nearby community and family
members; and
WHEREAS, the Center for American Progress (CAP) and the Law Enforcement
Action Partnership (LEAP) have proposed that cities establish a new branch of civilian first
responders, known as "community responders", who would be dispatched in response to
calls for service that often do not require a police response; and
WHEREAS, dispatching civilians in lieu of law enforcement officers can reduce
unnecessary police involvement and help prevent unjust arrests and uses of force, which
disproportionately affect people with behavioral health disorders and disabilities; and
WHEREAS, dispatching civilians in lieu of law enforcement officers would also free
up law enforcement resources, allowing officers to spend more of their time on key tasks,
including addressing serious crime and building proactive relationships with communities;
and
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WHEREAS, in an analysis of 911 data from five American cities, CAP and LEAP
found that between twenty-three and forty-five percent of calls for service were for less
urgent or noncriminal issues such as noise complaints, disorderly conduct, wellness checks,
or behavioral health concerns; and
WHEREAS, according to a recent CAP and LEAP report, across eight American
cities, community responders could have responded to between twenty-one and thirty-eight
percent of 911 calls, and an additional thirteen to thirty-three percent of calls could be
resolved administratively without dispatching an officer; and
WHEREAS, a number of cities have already implemented "civilian first" response
programs that incorporate elements of the community responder model; and
WHEREAS, community responders would be dispatched in response to two specific
categories of calls, behavioral health and social service calls, and quality of life and conflict
calls; and
WHEREAS, community responders trained as paramedics, clinicians, or crisis
intervention specialists could respond to lower-risk 911 calls related to mental health,
addiction, and homelessness, and also include peer navigators whose personal experiences
with behavioral health and social service needs can help build bridges with individuals
involved in these 911 calls; and
WHEREAS, community responders would be dispatched to 911 calls for nuisance
complaints and nonviolent conflicts, which may include reports of suspicious people, youth
behavioral issues, trespassing, and even simple assaults that do not involve weapons; and
WHEREAS, community responders who respond to these calls should be
professionals with deep connections to the community and extensive training in conflict
mediation, as can be found in safety net hospitals; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the partnership between law enforcement agencies and
safety net hospitals would be to reduce incidents of injuries related to mental health
emergencies while reducing the incarceration of the mentally ill; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate to study the feasibility and implementation of this type
of partnership in Louisiana.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
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does hereby create a task force to study the implementation of a partnership between law
enforcement agencies and safety net hospitals to reduce or eliminate incidents of law
enforcement officers handling nonviolent calls or behavioral or social crises in which no
crime is reported or has been committed.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be composed of the
following members:
(1) A representative of the Louisiana Department of Health, office of behavioral
health, to be designated by the secretary of the department.
(2) A representative of the governor's office of disability affairs, to be designated by
the governor.
(3) A representative of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - Louisiana
Chapter and a patient advocate for mental health, to be designated by the president of the
chapter.
(4) A representative of the Louisiana Psychological Association, to be designated by
the president of the association.
(5) A representative of the Capital Area Human Services and a patient advocate for
mental health, to be designated by the chair of the board of directors.
(6) A representative of the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police, to be
designated by the president of the association.
(7) A representative of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, to be designated by the
president of the association.
(8) A representative of Louisiana State University Shreveport, to be designated by
the chancellor of the university.
(9) A representative of Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport - Monroe Medical Center,
to be designated by the chief executive officer of the medical center.
(10) A representative of Louisiana Children's Medical Center, to be designated by
the chief executive officer of the medical center.
(11) A representative of Louisiana's Mental Health Advocacy Service and a patient
advocate for mental health, to be designated by the chief of the board of trustees of the
agency.
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(12) A representative of the Tulane University School of Social Work, to be
designated by the dean of the school of social work.
(13) A representative of the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police, to be designated by
the president of the organization.
(14) A representative of the Louisiana Ambulance Alliance, to be designated by the
chief executive officer of the organization.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall submit a written report of
findings and recommendations to the Senate no later than February 15, 2022.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, the governor's office of disability affairs,
the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - Louisiana Chapter, Louisiana
Psychological Association, the Capital Area Human Services District, the Louisiana
Association of Chiefs of Police, the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, the chancellor of
Louisiana State University Shreveport, the chief executive officer of Ochsner LSU Health
Shreveport - Monroe Medical Center, the chief executive officer of Louisiana Children's
Medical Center, the dean of the Tulane University School of Social Work, the chair of the
board of trustees of Louisiana's Mental Health Advocacy Service, the president of the
Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police, and the chief executive officer of the Louisiana
Ambulance Alliance.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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