An alternative to calling the police | Morning Newsletter
And Walnut Street always bounces back.
The Morning Newsletter
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Congratulations on making it to Friday. It’ll be partly sunny with temps reaching the high 60s.
Asking for help shouldn’t be life-threatening.
But the reality is that it is for many. Calling 911 isn’t always the safe answer.
It’s why there’s a push for trained professionals to respond to mental health crises. But what does that actually look like?
For our lead story, one of our reporters spent a day with a team that does just that.
If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
The vast majority of the mental health calls to the Philadelphia Crisis Line are resolved over the phone.
But 1 in 10 of those calls leads to a mobile unit dispatch. It’s a team of mental health professionals with the mission to diffuse a mental health crisis.
In July, a three-digit national mental health hotline launched to make it easier to get help. Eventually, it will replace a harder to remember 10-digit number known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
The line, 988, has already seen an increase in use — including in Philadelphia.
Mental health advocates say the success of 988 as a one-call crisis solution depends on the ability to dispatch mental health and behavioral providers.
The alternative is relying on police, which some fear will lead to escalation. About a quarter of people shot and killed by police in recent years were experiencing a mental health crisis.
A high-profile example is the case of Walter Wallace Jr., whom two Philadelphia police officers shot and killed while he was in the midst of a mental health crisis in October 2020.
Reporter Abraham Gutman takes readers along for the ride as he accompanies one of these units responding to a family in need.
What you should know today
Mothers of homicide victims testified during the first day of hearings for a committee seeking to impeach Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.
Hurricane Ian may bring us a couple inches of rain Friday into Sunday and heavy winds into the middle of next week.
Home buyers this summer saw mortgage rates fluctuate more than they have since 1987.
A state court ruled that Pennsylvania counties can notify voters who submit mail ballots with mistakes like missing dates or signatures and help resolve those issues.
Local coronavirus numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
Walnut Street has a way of always reinventing itself.
Walnut has long been Philadelphia’s street to see and be seen. It was known as the most pristine avenue with the city’s chicest stores.
But the past twenty years included an economic recession, high rents, and changing shopping habits, and transitioned the street from a women’s high-fashion hub to a lifestyle destination where visitors seek dining and exercise as well as shopping. The pandemic accelerated the shift.
But it’s not the first shift. Its revolving doors of tenants could be seen as a liability, but every generation has remade the avenue.
The street isn’t dead. It’s had its fair share of pandemic closures but there is a rebound. There are 47 new stories scheduled to open in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood in the coming months. Of those, 26 are on Walnut.
Despite its constant changes, columnist Elizabeth Wellington argued why Walnut will remain Philly’s high street.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
WHYY’s Marty Moss-Coane announced she is leaving Radio Times. How many years has she been the beloved host of the long-running interview and call-in show?
A. 25
B. 35
C. 40
D. 15
Think you know? Find out.
What we’re ...
📰 Pondering: This observation that Pennsylvania is veering from its history of electing “boring white guys.” John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz are a lot of things, but boring is certainly not one of them.
💸 Sharing: Tips on how to apply for student loan forgiveness. October (when the application becomes available) is right around the corner.
📷 Viewing: A beautiful gallery of a musical procession for Jesse Bermudez, the Philly ‘‘patriarch of Latin music.”
🏀 Reading: This defense of the proposed Sixers’ stadium from developer David Adelman. His latest argument is that the private sector should step in more because “the city’s not going to fix itself.” 🔑
🧩 Unscramble the Anagram 🧩
Hint: Spirituals
ALDON GIST
Think you know? Send your guess our way at morningnewsletter@inquirer.com. We’ll give a shout-out to a reader at random who answers correctly. Today’s shout-out goes to Shani Ferguson, who correctly guessed Taco Heart as Thursday’s answer.
Photo of the Day
And that’s it from me. Enjoy your Friday and my colleague Ashley Hoffman has you covered Sunday.