New public safety bill changes how 911 operators dispatch mental health calls
Once signed, Travis Law will require 911 operators to refer calls involving mental health crises to mental health crisis teams. Author: Kent Erdahl Updated: 6:48 PM CDT June 30, 2021
MINNEAPOLIS After months of arguments over which police reforms might make it into a new Minnesota Public Safety Bill, a single sentence in the compromise legislation quietly reforms the way 911 dispatchers do their jobs.
Mental health advocates say the change marks an overdue step forward, and it was made possible by the loved ones of Travis Jordan. On November 9th, 2018, the city of Minneapolis failed us, said Taren Vang, who has spent the past two years fighting for Travis Law, in honor of her late boyfriend, who was fatally shot by Minneapolis police after Vang says she called 911 after Jordan threatened suicide.