When emergencies happen, our reflex is often to call the police.
After all, we’ve been taught that 911 is the catch-all solution for anything scary, urgent, or uncertain. But the truth is, calling the police doesn’t always make things safer. In fact, for many communities, especially Black, brown, disabled, poor, queer, and unhoused people; it can escalate the danger.
Let’s talk about why calling the police can cause more harm than good in certain situations, and what real alternatives look like when we center community safety over criminal punishment.
The Police Aren’t Trained for Most Crises
Police are trained for control and compliance, not care. The average officer receives far more hours of training in firearms and physical force than in de-escalation, mental health, or crisis response. That’s why calling the police during a mental health emergency, domestic dispute, or welfare check can often lead to violence, incarceration, or even death.
Examples abound:
- People in mental distress shot during welfare checks
- Children criminalized at school for behavioral issues
- Survivors of domestic violence arrested instead of protected
When you call the police, you’re not necessarily getting help; you’re unleashing the carceral system.
Calling the Police Can Cost Lives
The police don’t keep everyone safe.
In 2023 alone, over 1,200 people were killed by police in the U.S. and the majority were responding to nonviolent situations. People with disabilities and mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed by police. If you’re Black, Indigenous, or a person of color, those risks multiply.
Calling 911 means introducing a gun, a badge, and the weight of the legal system into your situation, no matter what you intended.
So, Who Ya Gonna Call?
It depends on the crisis, but there are real, growing alternatives—many led by communities themselves.
Mental Health Crises
- 988 – The National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- Local mobile crisis units (search “[your city] mental health crisis response”)
- Warm lines – peer-led support hotlines for non-emergency help
Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault
- National Domestic Violence Hotline – 1-800-799-SAFE
- Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) – 1-800-656-HOPE
- Local shelters and survivor advocacy groups
Conflict Between Neighbors or Family
- Community mediation centers
- Restorative justice programs
- Mutual aid groups or trusted elders in your community
Is Someone’s Sleeping Outside or Seem Unwell?
Do Not Call Police. Instead:
- Offer water, food, or a blanket if safe to do so
- Contact local outreach teams or homeless services providers
- Find your local harm reduction or street medicine collective
Building the World We Actually Want
At its core, this is about imagining something better; about protecting the people being failed by society, not punishing them because the system has failed them.
The goal isn’t just to not call the police; it’s to build systems that make police unnecessary. Systems based on trust, care, accountability, and meeting human needs. That means:
- Funding community-led crisis teams
- Supporting housing-first initiatives
- Training mediators, not militarized officers
- Creating safety with each other, not on each other
Wrapping It Up
Calling the police might feel like the only option, but it’s often not the safest or the most effective one. We need to unlearn the idea that safety comes from punishment. Real safety comes from solidarity, resources, and relationships.
When we stop calling the cops, we start calling each other.
Have you had a positive experience with a crisis response team? Tell us about it here.
