COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Columbus residents could vote this November on whether the city establishes a division to dispatch nonpolice professionals, such as therapists and social workers, to respond to certain 911 calls.

The Columbus Safety Collective Campaign – led by multiple advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, Ohio Voice, Working Families Party Ohio, and Ohio Families Unite for Political Action and Change (OFUPAC) –  intends to put a city charter amendment before voters on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.

The amendment would establish a community crisis division within the Columbus Department of Public Safety. The division would be made up of nonpolice professionals who would respond to emergency calls that do not involve “imminent danger” or the “substantial risk of death or bodily harm.”

“We feel it’s common sense that police are not the answer to every problem,” said Emily Cole, executive director of OFUPAC. “We shouldn’t ask them to be social workers and counselors and crisis responders and enforce the law and investigate crime.”

Earlier this month, the collective announced it submitted the proposed ballot measure to the city clerk for review. The city attorney’s office completed its review Monday, finding the proposed measure needs some technical changes. Cole said the collective is going to make some tweaks and refile the proposal within the next week. Once it is approved by the city, the campaign will need to collect nearly 25,000 valid signatures by July 7 to get onto the November ballot.

The proposed division of community crisis response would be available 24/7. The division would monitor and evaluate emergency calls in conjunction with other relevant agencies and deploy at least one worker when deemed appropriate.

Helen Sweeney, a Columbus Safety Collective volunteer, said police often do not have the resources to refer those experiencing mental health or substance abuse crises to the proper treatment, while a community response team would specialize in these issues. 

“There’s a lot of calls that police really are not trained to do, and their talents are better suited for other types of calls,” Sweeney said. “[Certain calls] distract them from dealing with policing issues in communities that maybe are related to gun violence, gangs or theft.”

Brian Steel is the president of The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 9, an organization that serves officers in Franklin County. Steel said he agrees that certain calls officers receive may be better suited for a nonpolice response. He gave examples of calls regarding checking on a person experiencing homelessness or a patient who left a hospital against medical advice. 

“If we could free those officers up from those calls, the FOP is not getting in the way,” Steel said. “We just have to ensure that we are not putting an unarmed civilian without any kind of self-defense training in a situation where they may get hurt.”

Steel did express concern that workers with the proposed community crisis division could find themselves in danger after responding to a call that was originally thought to be a nonviolent situation. 

“The reality is many of these nondangerous calls quickly escalate,” Steel said. “Dispatchers often lack the full details. What could be labeled as a safe crisis might actually be deadly. And when you remove law enforcement from that equation, it could possibly be disastrous for the mental health worker that’s going there.”

Cole said crisis response professionals would be able to communicate on the same radio system as emergency medical services, firefighters and law enforcement, allowing them to request backup. 

“In some situations, a trained social worker or peer supporter can go in and stabilize the situation because they have techniques that they have learned, and that a lot of times can prevent the person from becoming violent,” Sweeney said.

In recent years, Columbus has established multiple alternative crisis response programs, which allow social workers and other professionals to work with police officers and 911 dispatchers. In 2025, the city budgeted about $7.6 million for these programs. However, none are available 24/7, nor do they offer a response that does not involve a law enforcement officer.

“The reality is Columbus lacks a fully-resourced and fully-integrated alternative crisis response program to meet the mental health and safety needs of our communities,” Cole said. “We feel that this system is meeting the gap in the current emergency services.”

Cole and Sweeney said the proposed division would not eliminate the existing initiatives but would be an additional tool and help better integrate the programs. However, Steel said he has concerns that coordination between programs and agencies could have “unintended consequences,” such as slower response times.

“When these calls go out, poor coordination could lead to delay, and seconds matter in these calls,” Steel said. 

The amendment calls for the city to budget at least $5 million for the implementation of the division in 2027, with annual funding increasing to at least $12 million by 2031. 

Steel said the FOP wants to ensure that the city does not cut or divert any police funds to accommodate the division.  Cole said city officials would be tasked with deciding where the funds come from but noted there are “numerous” grants available to such programs through the state and federal government.

“All Columbus residents deserve to feel safe when they ask for help,” Cole said. “It’s time to invest in community crisis responders who are experts specifically for mental health, addiction, unhoused and other needs facing our community.”

If the ballot initiative were to pass, the proposed measure states the community crisis response division would be available 24/7 no later than Jan. 1, 2031.