Law enforcement officers across the country are all too familiar with calls for service that repeatedly bring them into contact with people whose mental illness is not being adequately addressed. These officers often find themselves in the difficult position of determining whether to resolve such incidents informally or to take the person into custody, either for arrest or emergency evaluation. Although these incidents are generally resolved safely, on rare—but highly publicized—occasions they can involve use of force and the law enforcement officer, the person with mental illness, or both are seriously injured or killed. Without adequate training and access to community-based mental health resources, officers face tremendous obstacles in managing these incidents.