While I agree about the hole in the system part, I'm not sure we have the resources to fill that hole. Do we have social workers or mental health workers capable of defusing crisis or chaotic situations effectively? Do they work in tandem with cops? Do 911 calls get rerouted to them, or do cops call them in when they realize the situations warrant it? Just seems like an issue with far more questions than answers.
Maybe there's a local program out there I'm unaware of that might address this.
I suppose it's another thread entirely though.