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Unarmed 911 teams are reshaping public safety in nearly 100 cities

Some communities dispatch mental health clinicians as an alternative to a police response for emergency calls. Researchers consider a program in Durham, North Carolina, to be a success.

Copyright 2026 NPR

Meg Anderson is a correspondent on NPR's National Desk.
Leila Fadel is a host of Morning Edition, as well as NPR's morning news podcast Up First.