911 as Police Demand Engine

The United States’ 911 system, as currently designed, routes a large volume of calls about social problems to police, increasing demand for armed response even when non‑police alternatives would be more appropriate. An NBER working paper finds many municipalities (covering ~107 million residents in cities with 100+ officers) lack formal alternatives like 211/311/988, civilian crisis teams, or community resources, making police the default responder. — Framing 911 as an institutional driver of policing reframes reform debates toward redesigning emergency intake and funding civilian alternatives, with implications for budgets, training, liability, and public safety outcomes.