Baltimore Council Advances 911 Diversion Agency

Baltimore lawmakers voted to create a new Department of Neighborhood Safety to manage 911 calls that do not involve weapons or life-threatening dangers. The city council took two near-unanimous votes on Monday to move the proposal forward, setting the stage for a final vote early next month. The plan aims to shift welfare checks and nuisance reports away from police officers and toward mental health professionals and peer specialists.

Mayor Brandon Scott and Council President Zeke Cohen introduced the joint proposal last month. The new department will absorb the city’s current crime diversion efforts, which are currently led by the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement. Under the plan, teams consisting of a social worker and an unlicensed peer specialist would respond to calls in safe environments. These teams would eventually operate around the clock.

Councilman Mark Conway cast the lone dissenting vote. He said he supported the goal of the legislation but argued that the administration rushed the process without providing a budget. Conway warned that the city might saddle itself with expectations it is not prepared to meet. He stated that the council’s job is not just to propose ideas but also to manage the budget.

The city’s finance department reviewed the bill before committee hearings. Officials noted in a memo that the measure could have a potentially large fiscal impact. The total expense will depend on staffing levels and the volume of calls the department handles. Scott’s staff plan to launch the office with $15 million in restitution funds from settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors. The finance memo indicated those funds are expected to be depleted by 2032, creating a funding gap that would require a new revenue source or program termination.

Cohen said he wants the city to hire a director for the new office before releasing a final cost estimate. He cited analyses from Denver and Durham as models for the new system. Baltimore currently diverts about 1.5% of 911 calls from police. Durham diverts 5%. Council staff visited Durham to observe its program before introducing the bill.

Several council members rejected Conway’s claim that the proposal was under discussion for only six weeks. Councilwoman Odette Ramos said the work has been ongoing for years. She pointed to multiple hearings held last year after residents in mental health crises were killed by police. Ramos said the new department represents the culmination of that prior work. Council Vice President Sharon Green Middleton, the longest-serving member, added that the council has sought to bring wrap-around services for as long as she has served.

Cohen noted that moving the office out of the mayor’s general budget into its own department will give the council more oversight of its finances. Letitia Dzirasa, the city’s deputy mayor for equity, health and human services, said she expects to send a preliminary budget to the council in the next several weeks. Dzirasa said the city plans to phase in the program, similar to the rollout of the Group Violence Reduction Strategy. The city may pilot the program in specific areas before expanding it to other parts of the city.