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On The Sideline: Assessing LAPD's Mental Evaluation Unit & Smart Co-Response Model

Our Office conducted an assessment of the LAPD’s MEU to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the department’s response to mental health-related calls. We covered MEU operations and incident data from 2020–2022 and MEU use of force incidents from 2021–2024; we reviewed applicable legal frameworks, policies, and training protocols; we observed mental health training sessions; and we rode along with MEU units.

We focused our review on the MEU’s Systemwide Mental Assessment Response Team (SMART) program, which dispatches with patrol to mental health calls involving people who may be violent, armed, high-risk, or otherwise involved in a critical incident.

Cover of the LAPD Mental Evaluation Unit (MEU) assessment report

KEY FINDINGS

35%

of lapd officer-involved shootings involved people experiencing a mental health crisis in 2023.

86%

of the calls that smart handled resulted in a 5150 involuntary hold in 2023.

of the incident report narratives describe an attempt to de-escalate by the responding officers and/or smart.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

The LAPD should revise its policies and procedures to allow for SMART teams to take control of certain incidents involving people with mental illness or experiencing a mental health crisis. Specifically, SMART teams should lead the LAPD response to mental health-related calls which do not involve weapons.

The LAPD should develop a method to track and measure the impact that MEU has on mental health related incidents where SMART is dispatched and on use of force incidents.

To ensure that MEU officers are updated on evolving standards and best practices, LAPD should require additional training and refresher courses of all MEU officers.

The LAPD should revise its Use of Force, De-Escalation, and Mental Health-related policies to reflect best practices and ensure LAPD officers are better equipped to handle mental health calls.

The LAPD should work with the LA County Department of Mental Health to reevaluate the roles that mental health clinicians play in MEU so that they can be deployed with SMART units in more efficient or expanded ways to make better use of their clinical skills.

The City Council and Mayor should continue to support and fund the Unarmed Model of Crisis Response pilot through its multi-year plan, and should consider expanding the program if the pilot demonstrates successful alternatives to armed responses for mental health crises.

63%

of LAPD contacts with people believed to be experiencing a mental health crisis or suffering from mental illness were Black or Hispanic

33%

of LAPD contacts involving mental health disorders or events also involved people believed to be experiencing homelessness