Baltimore 911 Reform: New Agency Advances Without Cost Estimate

Baltimore City Council members voted Monday to establish a new Department of Neighborhood Safety, a move designed to shift lower-risk emergency calls away from police officers and toward mental health professionals. The legislation passed through committee with near-unanimous support, clearing the path for final citywide approval in early November. The department would absorb existing diversion efforts currently housed in the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, adding dedicated staff to manage specific types of 911 requests.

Under the proposed structure, social workers and peer specialists would respond to non-life-threatening incidents, including welfare checks and nuisance reports. These calls would need to occur in safe environments without weapons. The new teams are planned to operate around the clock once fully deployed. Mayor Brandon Scott and Council President Zeke Cohen jointly introduced the proposal last month, citing the need for a more specialized response to mental health crises.

The timeline for the project has drawn scrutiny. Councilman Mark Conway cast the sole dissenting vote in the recent proceedings, arguing that the administration moved too quickly without a finalized budget. Conway stated that he supported the core intent of the bill but worried about the financial risks. “I fear we’ll trip and fall and saddle the city with expectations we’re not fully prepared to meet,” Conway said. He noted that the proposal had been under active discussion for only six weeks, a claim colleagues disputed. Councilwoman Odette Ramos countered that the work had been developing for years, pointing to multiple hearings held after police-involved deaths during mental health crises last year.

Financial details remain fluid. The city’s finance department reviewed the bill and flagged a “potentially large fiscal impact,” noting that total costs depend on staffing levels and call volumes. Deputy Director of Finance confirmed that expenses will vary based on the department’s operational scope. Mayor Scott’s staff intend to launch the office using $15 million in restitution funds from settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors. A city memo warns that these funds are projected to run out by 2032, creating a fiscal cliff that would force programs to end or shift to new funding sources immediately after that date.

Council President Zeke Cohen said he prefers to hire a permanent director before publishing a specific price tag. He referenced analyses of similar systems in Denver and Durham, North Carolina, where 5% of 911 calls are diverted from police. Baltimore currently diverts approximately 1.5%. Cohen and mayoral staff visited Durham to observe that program before drafting the local legislation. “I want to make sure before any number goes out publicly that the person who is going to be tasked with running this entire department is on board first,” Cohen said.

The creation of a standalone department will move the office’s finances out of the mayor’s general budget and into a separate line item, providing the council with increased oversight capabilities. Letitia Dzirasa, the city’s deputy mayor for equity, health and human services, indicated that a preliminary budget will be sent to the council within the next several weeks. She expects the rollout to be phased, similar to the introduction of the Group Violence Reduction Strategy. Specific call types may be diverted first, and the city could pilot the program in select neighborhoods before expanding it citywide.

The final vote on the legislation is scheduled for early next month. Conway maintained that managing the budget is a core legislative duty, stating, “Our job is not to just have ideas and to put them out there. Our job is also managing the budget.” Council Vice President Sharon Green Middleton, the longest-serving member, agreed that the effort has been long in the making. “We’ve been trying to bring wrap-around services along for as long as I’ve been on the council,” she said. The new agency will begin operations only after the council passes the final bill and the administration secures the necessary staffing.