LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The city of Louisville is expanding a program to help people in crisis without involving police. 

The Crisis Call Diversion Program, also known as "deflection," started out as a pilot project a year ago and will now include all LMPD, the city said. 

The expansion aligns with recommendations from a recently released DOJ report outlining problems within LMPD, according to Mayor Craig Greenberg. 

According to that report:

• Nearly one quarter of uses of force reviewed by DOJ involved people who appeared to be having a behavioral health crisis
• MetroSafe, the city’s 911 center, regularly dispatches only police to calls involving behavioral health issues
• Thousands of calls could be more effectively resolved through behavioral health professionals

The city said the program started in the 4th division, expanded to other divisions and now will be in place throughout the city from 2-10 p.m. daily. 

"They’ve helped over 600 people resolve crisis support and referrals without the involvement of LMPD officers," said Greenberg. "That has saved our officers nearly 350 hours they might otherwise have spent on those calls."

If you call 911, MetroSafe can decide the call should be transferred to crisis triage workers from Seven Counties Services who function like a crisis hotline staff to deescalate and provide support, according to the city. 

"If it’s needed, they can actually dispatch the mobile crisis response team who can go out and meet with someone individually in the community and continue that deescalation, determine what resources are needed and then help provide them that resource and support to access," said Jean Romano with Seven Counties Services. 

Eleven people have been hired so far and Seven Counties Services said it will hire more to expand the hours of operation.