Mental Health Crisis Calls Up 84% in San Diego

Report: Mental Health Calls Increase 84% Since 2009
KPBS
By City News Service
Monday, June 6, 2016

Calls to law enforcement in San Diego regarding mental health issues have risen 84 percent over the past six years, the San Diego Association of Governments reported Monday.

In 2009, there were more than 17,000 such calls, according to SANDAG's Criminal Justice Research Division. By 2015, the total was up to 31,700 after a steady annual climb in the number of mental health incidents.

SANDAG said the figures don't include calls to police for other reasons, but for which mental illness was later found to be an underlying cause.

Law enforcement representatives told SANDAG that reasons for the climb include increased drug use, greater public awareness of mental health issues, a growing number of people with such problems but no stable residence, fewer programs to help patients, a jump in the number of people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and legislative changes that resulted in incarcerated people being released and no longer taking medication.
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