It’s time to rethink America’s 911 system

Of the 240 million calls made to 911 each year, only one-quarter relate to an actual crime in progress. Despite this, most calls beget a quick response from armed police. Sometimes it goes horribly wrong.

Over the past few years, a growing number of communities have been thinking about ways to diversify who is best to respond to a 911 call, with the goal of removing armed police from the untenable position of navigating scenarios they are not trained for. While some critics argue these initiatives chip away at law enforcement’s ability to effectively do their job, the...