A federal civil rights lawsuit has been filed against Worcester, accusing the city of endangering people in mental health crises by sending armed police to 911 calls instead of trained clinicians — a practice advocates say violates disability laws and leaves children and adults, injured and afraid to seek help.
The lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court by three major mental health groups — the National Association of Mental Illnesses (NAMI) of Central Massachusetts, NAMI-Massachusetts and the League of Parent-Professional Advocates.
These 911 calls to physical health emergencies by Worcester residents involved in mental health crises show how “armed police officers” enter situations that demand clinical care and create crises rather than stability. This distinction, the group argues, amounts to discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504.
“No city policy, procedure or practice authorizes mental health professionals to be the first responders to mental health emergency calls,” the complaint states.
“It is not a crime to experience a mental health crisis, and cities should not respond to mental health emergencies by sending armed police. People with mental health disabilities deserve better,” said Steven Schwartz, special counsel at the Center for Public Representation.
The city of Worcester declined to comment on the lawsuit to MassLive, saying as of 11:50 a.m. Monday it had “not yet received a formal complaint.”
“We value our longstanding partnership with law enforcement. At the same time, we recognize that the city’s response to individuals with mental health conditions in crisis is not equitable, effective or adequate,” said Eliza Williamson, executive director, NAMI Massachusetts. “The Americans with Disabilities Act is built on the simple belief that people with disabilities deserve dignity, equality, and meaningful access to the support they need.”
The lawsuit argues that the Worcester 911 system violates federal disability law by treating mental health emergencies fundamentally differently than physical health emergencies.
When a resident calls 911 for a heart attack or other medical crisis, the city sends EMTs and paramedics trained to provide assessment, stabilization and clinical care. But when an emergency involves suicidal thoughts, fear, mental illness or trauma, the complaint argues that Worcester’s “default” is to send armed police officers — even though the officers are “unqualified to perform the primary duties of a mental health emergency response,” and their mere presence could exacerbate the crisis.
Plaintiffs cited examples of families whose children or relatives did not receive mental health support after calling 911, but instead were voluntarily committed, went to the emergency room or were arrested — in two separate incidents involving two autistic boys, ages 10 and 14, when officers knocked on the young boy’s bedroom door and physically barricaded him. In another incident, they broke the arm of a 10-year-old child.
The lawsuit also points to a Worcester Police Department policy that limits officers’ options for arrest, involuntary commitment or transport, noting research that shows people with mental illness are nearly 12 times more likely to experience police use of force.
As a result, the plaintiffs argue, many Worcester residents now avoid calling 911 altogether, turning to NAMI or PPAL for help in emergencies.
The complaint also points to the city’s short-term mental health crisis response team, which began in 2023 and is staffed by clinicians and associates. According to the lawsuit, the team only worked limited hours, was rarely dispatched as a first responder and was often dispatched only after the police had already intervened — undermining its purpose.
Worcester then disbanded the program after less than 18 months, leaving a disarmed clinical response in place. Plaintiffs argue that this failure to provide a health-based response to mental health emergencies denies people with mental health disabilities equal access to emergency services and violates Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“The current system makes people in Worcester feel like there is no help for individuals facing mental health emergencies. We hope this case will make a positive difference,” said Robin Behr Casey, NAMI Central Mass. Board of Directors Chair.
The plaintiffs are asking a federal judge to order Worcester to overhaul its 911 system to achieve a clinical, disarming response to mental health emergencies comparable to the care provided during physical health crises. They argue the city should redesign its dispatch policy, train staff and create or relocate a dedicated mental health crisis team to comply with federal disability law.
The case in Massachusetts comes as cities across the country face growing pressure, and in some cases, federal investigations, on police-led responses to mental health emergencies.
A 2024 Justice Department report after a two-year investigation heavily criticized the Worcester Police Department for using excessive and unjustified force. The Justice Department said in its report that Worcester police officers unnecessarily and quickly escalated minor encounters with people, including people with behavioral disabilities or mental health crises.
The main reasons, federal officials said, were incompetent officers and oversight, inadequate accountability and missing policies. Several initiatives were announced by Worcester City Manager Eric D. Batista following the report, including a hotline for the public to report misconduct by police officers.
This hotline shall be administered by the Investigations Division of the Executive Office of Overseas Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (EODEI). EODEI also led training sessions, seminars and workshops on behavioral health, implicit bias and additional topics, all of which would align with and inform written policy within the police department.
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