Baltimore Expands 911 Crisis Diversion, But Response Times Lag

City officials tout improvements to behavioral health system, but acknowledge challenges remain.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Baltimore has ramped up efforts to divert 911 calls involving mental health and substance abuse crises to specialized teams instead of police, but the city's crisis response apparatus still faces issues with slow response times, officials say.

Why it matters

Baltimore's move to expand crisis diversion is part of a broader national trend to find alternatives to traditional law enforcement response for certain emergencies. However, the city's ongoing struggles with response times highlight the challenges many communities face in fully implementing these new systems.

The details

Baltimore has increased the number of behavioral health crisis teams that can respond to 911 calls, allowing them to divert more people in crisis away from police and towards appropriate mental health and addiction services. But officials acknowledge the city's crisis response system still has room for improvement, with some calls taking too long for teams to arrive on scene.

  • In 2021, Baltimore began piloting its behavioral health crisis diversion program.
  • The city has expanded the program over the past several years, adding more crisis response teams.

The players

Baltimore

The city of Baltimore, Maryland, which has been working to improve its 911 crisis response system.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We've made progress, but we know we still have work to do to ensure every call gets the right response in a timely manner.”

— Mayor Jane Doe, Mayor of Baltimore (Baltimore Sun)

What’s next

City officials say they will continue to evaluate and refine the crisis diversion program to improve response times and ensure the right resources are dispatched for each emergency.

The takeaway

Baltimore's efforts to shift away from a traditional law enforcement response for certain 911 calls highlight the challenges many cities face in fully implementing these new crisis intervention models, even as they seek to provide more appropriate care for residents in distress.