The Baltimore City Council voted 12‑1 on Monday to establish a Department of Neighborhood Safety, a third public‑safety branch that will change how 911 calls involving mental‑health crises are handled. Council President Zeke Cohen said, “No one should lose their life to a mental health crisis,” and highlighted the legislation as a way to send Baltimoreans the right help when they need it most.
Under the new department, 911 dispatchers will be authorized to refer callers to a licensed clinician rather than automatically dispatching police. The Mayor’s Office noted that the department will absorb the existing Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), which was created in 2020 to treat gun violence as a public‑health issue. Stefanie Mavronis, director of MONSE, will remain in a leadership role within the new agency.
The move follows a series of fatal police shootings in 2025 involving residents experiencing mental distress, including the June‑2024 death of 70‑year‑old Pytorcarcha Brooks, who barricaded herself during a crisis. Cohen asked, “Why weren’t calls like these receiving a mental health crisis response?” prompting the council’s action.
City officials estimate the department will cost $16 million and handle about 22,000 calls per year. In addition to crisis response, the plan calls for “care continuity teams” composed of peers and social workers to provide case‑management support after a resident’s engagement with a community‑based response team, according to the Mayor’s Office.
Behavioral Health System Baltimore (BHSB) currently runs a 911 diversion program that triages mental‑health calls to the 988 crisis hotline. BHSB Vice President Adrienne Breidenstine said a non‑law‑enforcement response brings Baltimore “a step closer to providing people in distress the right help anywhere, anytime.”
A nationwide search will be launched for an executive director to lead the new department, who will work alongside Mavronis. Once the director is hired, the Mayor’s office expects the Department of Neighborhood Safety to become operational within the year.
What’s next: The legislation now heads to Mayor Brandon Scott for signature. After the mayor’s approval, the city will begin hiring the executive director, with the goal of launching the department later this year.
Sources: baltimorefishbowl.com
