EL CAJON POLICE OFFICERS ARE STILL RESPONDING TO MENTAL HEALTH CALLS DESPITE NEWS AND CONCERNS TO THE CONTRARY

By Paul Levikow

August 14, 2025 (El Cajon) – The El Cajon City Council was reassured Tuesday about police responses to mental health calls for service after recent news coverage and concerns expressed by County officials. Some changes have been made in the wake of a ruling by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that was handed down last year stemming from a fatal encounter with police in Las Vegas with a man experiencing a mental health crisis. The item on the agenda Tuesday was for informational purposes only. No action was required by the City Council.

The Appeals Court ruled that officers can be held liable in situations where they respond to a mental health call where no crime has been or is being committed by someone experiencing a mental health crisis or there is no threat to public safety.

“This needs to be a societal conversation about how do we address mental illness in the United States and more importantly how do we expect police officers and fire departments to respond to these things,” City Manager Graham Mitchell said. “We have thrown so much burden on their backs and there is clearly a societal movement to not do that. But at the same time, we’re still stuck because there’s no solution.”

There was a procedural change implemented in March by El Cajon Police, followed by a decline in responses by police officers, according to Mitchell

Police Capt. Keith MacArthur discussed the department’s policy on responding to crisis intervention incidents.

“The El Cajon Police Department is committed to providing consistent, high-level service to all members of the community and recognizes persons in crisis may benefit from intervention,” MacArthur said. “The department will collaborate where feasible with mental health professionals to develop an overall intervention strategy to guide its members interactions with those experiencing a mental health crisis. This is to ensure equitable and safe treatment of all involved.”

El Cajon Fire Chief Bent Koch told the council that EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) have very little mental health training and the challenge is that many times there is a mental health component for EMS calls.

“On the EMS side, we don’t have the option to say no,” Koch said. “We are trying to get as much information up front so we don’t end up rushing in to something that we really don’t need to.”

Now, when a medial aide mental health call comes into dispatch, the watch commander, sergeant and/or the officer can decide whether a crime has been committed, or is in the act of being committed or there is a threat to public safety before responding to the scene. The idea is to not escalate a situation merely by their presence.

Mitchell said public opinion has shifted regarding officers responding to mental health calls and the court ruling has had an impact.

“So, no one wants them to respond but there’s no other people to respond, so they’re sort of stuck responding,” he said.