New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams released a proposal on September 25 to reform how residents make emergency calls seeking assistance for people in a mental health crisis. Williams’ plan comes in response to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s failure to act on long-promised proposals to address the city’s emergency response system following the deaths of 15 people who were struggling with mental health during encounters with police since 2015. The proposal argued the deaths of those 15 individuals is evidence that the City’s current approach is a failure. “In defaulting to a law enforcement response to mental health crises, the City applies the lens of criminality to what is first and foremost a health...