Columbus is one step closer to a major shakeup in how the city answers emergency calls. On Monday, City Council formally read into the record a citizen-backed charter amendment that would require Columbus to create a 24-hour, non-police crisis-response team if voters sign off in the May primary. Supporters turned in roughly 30,000 petition signatures to get the measure on the ballot and say the new unit would take on specific mental-health, welfare-check and substance-use calls that do not involve weapons or immediate danger. Backers argue the shift would get people help faster while letting officers focus on violent crime.
When the item was read into the record, Council President Shannon Hardin publicly credited organizers, saying, "This council's engagement with the Columbus Safety Collective goes back years," according to WOSU Public Media. Hardin told the station that the goal is a response model where a social worker or physician, not an officer, shows up when someone needs help. WOSU Public Media reported that council is expected to vote next week on whether to refer the amendment to the May ballot.
What's On The Ballot
The Community Crisis Response Amendment would require the city's public health department to run a round-the-clock alternative crisis response division staffed with trained clinicians, peer supporters and social workers, according to Columbus Safety Collective. The campaign says these teams would be dispatched to low-risk mental-health, substance-use and welfare-check calls that do not involve weapons or an imminent threat. Supporters say the amendment is designed to "scale up" existing efforts by creating a dedicated, city-run division that can maintain consistent staffing and citywide coverage at all hours.
Funding And Staffing
Organizers estimate startup costs at roughly $5 million and say the city would be responsible for hiring staff and operating the new division under the health department, according to reporting by WOSU Public Media. Columbus already has co-response teams that pair counselors with police officers, and that outlet noted the city budgeted about $7.6 million in 2025 for alternative crisis-response work, a signal that officials have already begun investing in similar programs. Advocates say those existing efforts would be expanded to provide 24/7 coverage if the amendment passes.
How Columbus Compares To Other Cities
The amendment slots into a broader national push to send clinicians and peer specialists to certain low-risk calls instead of armed officers. Research and toolkits from the Vera Institute of Justice and other groups highlight models like Eugene, Oregon's CAHOOTS program, which are cited as examples of how cities can reduce police contacts and better connect people in crisis with services. Those resources also stress that making such systems work at scale requires reliable funding and tight coordination with 911 dispatch. Local organizers say they leaned on those lessons when crafting the Columbus proposal.
What Happens Next
According to Columbus Safety Collective, the petition has been delivered to the city clerk, who will forward the signatures to the Franklin County Board of Elections and the city attorney for validation and legal review. Once the signatures are certified, City Council must vote on whether to place the amendment on the May ballot, and that referral vote is scheduled for next week. Campaign organizers say they turned in more than the required number of signatures and have already shared the full amendment text publicly.
The proposal now sets up a high-profile test of whether Columbus voters are ready to formally shift parts of emergency response toward health-centered civilian teams instead of uniformed officers. With council action looming and the May primary on the horizon, both organizers and city officials are gearing up for an intense public debate over what the future of crisis response in the city should look like.
