The impact is being felt by firefighters who will now be left without law enforcement backup as the sheriff's office says it will no longer dispatch deputies to certain 911 calls following a recent federal court ruling about qualified immunity.
The ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals revoked officers' legal protection when they respond to calls where no crime is being committed.
Peterson outlined the policy change at a county commission meeting last week, saying the decision to respond — or not — will now be made by a 911 dispatcher and the watch commander.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said the policy change creates a new danger for their crews.
They rely on sheriff's deputies to make sure a scene is safe before making contact with a patient -- and now -- in some calls -- they're worried that protection may no longer be there.
Elizabeth Hopper has called 911 for help more than a dozen times over the last decade when her adult daughter was having psychotic episodes.
Hopper's against the policy change, saying it leaves family members with few other options to get their loved one emergency psychiatric help.
Leslie Gielow Jacobs, a law professor at the UOP McGeorge School of Law, explained that the loss of immunity means individual officers can now be sued for excessive force.
"The courts have made it very clear that really any use of force is questionable," Peterson said.
"It feels almost like a knee-jerk reaction response," Hopper said. "It feels like, 'We don't want to take a risk of a lawsuit.' "
"We need help," Wilbourn said. 'We need either a legislative effort or the courts to make a decision."
The sheriff's office memo indicates it's working with the 988 mental crisis hotline to begin transferring these types of calls to them. The county also has a team of community wellness councilors that can respond but only if there are no weapons involved.
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