CCIT-NYC has released a statement regarding Mayor Eric Adams’ proposal to increase funding for B-HEARD, New York City’s current crisis response pilot program. NYLPI is an active member of CCIT-NYC; Ruth Lowenkron, director of Disability Justice at NYLPI, was quoted in the statement:

“We urge the Council to mandate fundamental changes to the B-HEARD ‘non-police’ pilot, before approving additional funding for it. B-HEARD continues to result in police responding to well over 80 percent of mental health crisis calls – even more than when the pilot started out over a year ago. The B-HEARD pilot is deeply flawed and must be overhauled immediately to ensure that not one more person experiencing a mental health crisis is killed at the hands of the police.” – Ruth Lowenkron

Read the full statement here.