Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen is calling for major reforms in the city’s handling of behavioral health crises, saying failures in the system are leaving vulnerable residents without proper care and putting lives at risk.
Cohen spoke with WBAL NewsRadio’s C4 and Bryan Nehman on Friday, following a City Council hearing which was prompted by the fatal police shooting of a 70-year-old woman experiencing a mental health episode in her home.
“Mental health should not be a death sentence,” Cohen said.
According to Cohen, Baltimore’s computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system, which connects police, fire and EMS, has failed at least six times in recent months.
He called the breakdowns “unacceptable” and said the problems can delay emergency response when residents dial 911 or the 988 s