In Kansas City, 96% of the people who are chronically homeless live outdoors — the highest rate in the country.
That means that nearly all people who have experienced homelessness for at least a year — or repeatedly over three years — are out on the streets. This population is considered chronically homeless due to struggles with substance abuse, a serious mental illness or physical disability.
So what can you do when you run across somebody whose addiction or mental illness makes them dangerous to you, to others or to themselves? Who is the right person to call? This Beacon guide aims to help you navigate those tricky situations.
Who should I call?
The Kansas City Police Department advises calling 911 if you come across someone who’s unconscious or who has overdosed on drugs. For any situation requiring immediate police, fire or emergency medical services, dial 911.
Both the emergency and non-emergency lines are routed to the same call takers and are prioritized based on urgency.
If the situation is less urgent but still concerning, you can request a wellness check. Wellness checks can be initiated for various reasons, such as when a family member, friend or neighbor has not been heard from for an extended period. Police will investigate to make sure the person is safe and not in need of assistance.
If someone is experiencing a mental health crisis, developmental disabilities or related challenges, call 911 and let the dispatcher know. You can specifically request an officer from the KCPD Crisis Intervention Team, or CIT, which is available 24/7. That information will be relayed to patrol officers.
The CIT program trains officers to work with behavioral health professionals, hospitals, emergency departments and community organizations to de-escalate situations involving mental health challenges and similar situations.
What might happen when I call 911?
If you call 911, an operator will dispatch patrol officers to your location.
Here’s how the Kansas City Police Department says things should go after that:
If an officer concludes the person is an imminent danger to themselves or others, they may detain the person. That could include handcuffing for safety. The officer will ask about any weapons and seize them for safekeeping.
An officer will conduct a preliminary investigation to determine if a crime occurred and assess the person’s mental health to evaluate the danger to the person or someone else.
Any officer responding to a mental health emergency will file a CIT report. If the person is agitated or hostile, emergency medical services might be called to the scene.
The officer may transport the person to a hospital or mental health center for an evaluation after receiving medical clearance. If the person voluntarily seeks admission, the officer will coordinate with the facility and complete a mental health report.
For juveniles, a parent or a legal guardian must be present for admission to facilities. If they refuse to accompany the child, the officer cannot transport them. The officer may instead use different resources such as department social workers, Children’s Division employees or hospital social workers to develop a care plan to help the child.
Witnesses will be asked to complete necessary affidavits. Intoxicated people may be released to a responsible party or taken to a patrol division for safety.
Important numbers for homeless resources
- Emergency: 911
- Non-Emergency Police Response: 816-234-5111
- Access Crisis Intervention Line: 888-279-8188
- Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988
- reStart: 816-472-5664
- Veterans: 816-886-9115
- Youth Hotline: 816-309-9048
- Youth Street Outreach (A S.A.F.E Place): 913-295-7067
- City Union Mission: 816-474-9380
- Hotline for Homeless: 816-474-4599
- National Call Center for Homeless Veterans: 877-424-3838
- Shelter KC:
- Men’s Center and Administration Office: 816-421-7643
- Women’s Center: 816-348-3287
- United Way of Greater Kansas City: 211
