Program that sends unarmed crisis teams to serve unhoused people expands to LA's Westside

Topline:

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced on Monday the expansion of a program that sends unarmed mental health workers and staff with lived experience to respond to non-violent incidents that involve people who are unhoused.

What is CIRCLE : It stands for Crisis and Incident Response through Community-led Engagement. Mayor Bass’s office said more than 14,000 incidents were diverted to CIRCLE last fiscal year. The idea is to relieve police of what they call “quality of life” calls like trespassing or loitering.

About the expansion sites: The Mayor’s Office said CIRCLE would be expanding to these neighborhoods: Oakwood, Mar Vista, Palms, Playa Vista, Playa Del Rey, Westchester, Manchester Square and Dockweiler Beach. It was already running in Hollywood, Venice, downtown L.A., and in areas of South Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley.

How to contact CIRCLE: Members of the public can access CIRCLE through the non-emergency line at (877) 275-5273 or (877) ASK-LAPD. Choose the non-emergency dispatch option.

Why now? In a statement, Congressman Ted Lieu said he worked to get $1.5 million for the expansion through the federal appropriations process in 2022.

Go deeper: Confused by all of the mental health crisis response options? Here’s what’s available in the LA region