Los Angeles police union proposes limits to 911 responses

By STEFANIE DAZIO
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Police Department’s rank-and-file union is proposing that someone other than police respond to more than two dozen types of 911 calls in a bid to transfer their workload to more serious crimes. It’s part of a national trend aimed at limiting situations where armed officers are the first to respond. The new proposal was announced Wednesday by the Los Angeles Police Protective League and lists 28 kinds of 911 calls where other city agencies or nonprofit organizations would be sent first. The proposal comes during the union’s contract negotiations with the city and amid activists’ pleas for reducing or eliminating armed responses to certain situations.