How should police handle mental health calls? Buffalo’s next mayor will decide

by UB Center for Urban Studies · 10/25/2021

Mayoral candidate India Walton says police should not be first responders to mental health-related calls.

In many cases, in Buffalo and many other communities, they already aren’t.

At the same time, mental health professionals sometimes want or need police to show up.

The debate about the appropriate role police should take in mental health response often gets oversimplified, but most agree police involvement should be limited, said Elizabeth L. Mauro, CEO of Endeavor Health Services, a local nonprofit that provides mental and behavioral health services, including alongside city police.

“When we talk about the role of law enforcement, in a very simplified form, it’s they should be used when they’re needed and not otherwise,” Mauro said.

“And actually everyone’s agreeing,” she said. “If you peel back all the layers, everyone is actually in agreement on that.”