Louisville police body cameras now stream live to licensed psychologists on crisis calls

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

When a Louisville Metro officer responds to a mental health crisis call, a licensed psychologist can now watch the body camera feed live and suggest how to read the situation. The program, part of the Advanced Crisis Team (ACT) launched Sept. 1, has expanded to day shifts in other divisions.

Mayor Craig Greenberg calls it the first of its kind in the country. Psychologists serve strictly as advisers; officers keep decision authority on scene. The pilot follows the death of 28-year-old Katelyn Hall, shot and killed by LMPD officers during a mental health crisis in her apartment earlier this year.

Why it matters

If the model works, Louisville sets the template for using live clinical guidance to cut police force on mental health calls.

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Key Indicators

2,500+

Crisis calls LMPD handled since Jan. 2026

LMPD says officers responded to more than 2,500 calls involving people in crisis since the start of 2026.

Crisis calls involving force beyond hand control

Of those 2,500+ calls, 10 involved force beyond basic hand control, per LMPD.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Sarah Shelton

Founder and president, Shelton Forensic Solutions

Leads the psychologist advisory team for the pilot

Bryan Edelen

Assistant chief, Louisville Metro Police Department

Oversees the Advanced Crisis Team pilot

Craig Greenberg

Mayor of Louisville

Announced the pilot program

Katelyn Hall

Louisville resident killed by LMPD officers during a mental health crisis

Deceased; the two officers involved will not face charges

Organizations Involved

Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD)

Municipal police department

Runs the Advanced Crisis Team pilot

LMPD handles crisis calls across Louisville and created ACT in September 2026 to bring clinical advisors into the response.

Shelton Forensic Solutions

Forensic psychology consulting firm

Supplies licensed psychologists for the pilot

The firm provides the psychologists who watch LMPD body camera feeds during crisis calls.

MetroSafe

Emergency communications center

Partner in the ACT program

Louisville's emergency communications center, connecting dispatchers, officers, and psychologists during crisis calls.

Timeline

September 2026 October 2026

2 events Latest: 2 days ago

October 2026
Psychologists get real-time body cam access as ACT expands
Latest Expansion

Licensed psychologists can now watch LMPD body cameras live during crisis calls; the program expands to day shifts in other divisions.
2 days ago
September 2026
Advanced Crisis Team pilot launches
Launch

LMPD launches ACT to pair officers with clinical support on behavioral health crisis calls.
September 1st, 2026

Scenarios

Louisville expands psychologist body cam monitoring citywide

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Louisville mayor's office and LMPD leadership

The mayor's office says it will review pilot outcomes to evaluate effectiveness. If use of force on crisis calls drops or officers report the live guidance helps de-escalate encounters, the city could extend the program beyond the current divisions.

Privacy and consent concerns restrict or halt the program

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Potential civil rights challenge; no group has formally raised objections yet

Live body camera feeds show people in distress inside their homes. If questions about consent, footage retention, or who can access the recordings surface, the city could face legal or policy pressure to narrow or end psychologist access to the feeds.

Pilot ends after review finds no clear improvement

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Program evaluators reviewing pilot data for the mayor's office

If crisis call outcomes don't measurably improve or the program's cost outweighs its benefits, city officials could discontinue ACT in the next budget cycle without expanding it further.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1988 onwards

Crisis Intervention Team, Memphis (1988)

Memphis police created the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) after an officer shot and killed a man with mental illness. The model trained volunteer officers in de-escalation and built formal partnerships with local mental health providers.

Then

CIT spread to hundreds of U.S. police departments within two decades and became the standard police response to mental health calls.

Now

Studies show CIT training improves officer attitudes and reduces arrests of people in crisis, though results on use of force are mixed.

Why this matters now

Louisville's program extends the CIT idea — trained officers plus clinical expertise — by putting a clinician directly on the officer's feed in real time.

1989 onwards

CAHOOTS, Eugene, Oregon (1989)

Eugene launched CAHOOTS, dispatching a medic and a crisis worker instead of police for non-violent mental health calls. The program grew to handle a large share of the city's emergency calls.

Then

CAHOOTS reduced police involvement in non-violent crisis calls and inspired similar programs in other cities, including Denver's STAR program.

Now

It became the leading example of civilian-led crisis response, shaping the national debate about alternatives to police.

Why this matters now

CAHOOTS routes crises away from police entirely. Louisville's pilot keeps police on scene but adds a remote clinical advisor — a middle path between the two models.

2014-2016

US police departments adopt body-worn cameras (2014-2016)

After the 2014 Ferguson protests, the Department of Justice launched grant programs to help departments buy body cameras. Most major U.S. police agencies adopted them within a few years.

Then

Cameras became standard police equipment in large departments, shifting the debate from whether to record to who can access the footage.

Now

Streaming technology has since made it possible to use body cameras not just for documentation but for live, real-time oversight.

Why this matters now

Louisville is using cameras deployed for evidence recording as a live clinical tool — moving from documenting encounters to influencing them as they happen.