Bloomberg Cities: Stories from the Field

Data paves the way for alternative 911 efforts

Cities across the United States have, for years now, been testing alternative emergency response programs that help residents in need without involving armed police officers.

Now, the team at the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab has released a new guide, based on three years of research in more than 30 jurisdictions, that both outlines key metrics to guide other cities' efforts and spotlights insights into how data can help strengthen ambitious new services.