University Study Revised Eugene Crisis Call Impact

New research suggests CAHOOTS diverted significantly more police calls than previous estimates indicated.

Updated on Sept. 27, 2026 in Emergency Response

Isometric editorial illustration of two distinct, colorful geometric building blocks side-by-side, representing municipal emergency response coordination. — A University of Oregon study suggests that Eugene's mobile crisis counseling program diverted between 18% and 50% of police calls, significantly higher than earlier estimates. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should your local community divert 911 calls to non-police mobile crisis response teams?

University of Oregon researchers published a study in Science Advances showing the CAHOOTS program diverted between 18% and 50% of police calls in Eugene. This figure contrasts with a 2022 Eugene Police Department report that estimated the program's diversion rate at only 3% to 8%.

Why it matters

The findings introduce new measurement standards to accurately assess how mobile crisis counseling impacts emergency response systems. These methods are intended to help communities better allocate resources for non-police interventions.

Researchers established three new metrics to analyze call diversion: the Substitution Diversion Rate at 18%, the Prevention-adjusted rate at 23%, and the Overlapping-mandate rate at 50%.

The players

University of Oregon

This is a public research university located in Eugene that conducts systematic studies on local emergency services.

Eugene Police Department

This local agency provides law enforcement services and previously reported on the efficacy of mobile crisis intervention.

CAHOOTS

This mobile crisis counseling service deploys teams of medics and workers to handle non-violent calls.

The details

The study analyzed how two-person teams, consisting of a medic and a crisis worker, handle emergency calls rather than law enforcement officers. While the program successfully managed significant call volumes, the City of Eugene ended its funding for the operations in 2025.

1989: CAHOOTS launched as a cooperative system in Eugene.
2022: The Eugene Police Department published a summary report on call diversion.
2025: The City of Eugene discontinued funding for CAHOOTS operations.
September 2026: University of Oregon researchers published the new diversion study.

Seasonal Patterns

The study updates the effectiveness figures established by the 2022 Eugene Police Department report.

Residents should note that while city-funded CAHOOTS services in Eugene ended in 2025, the program continues to operate vans in Springfield. This study provides a new framework for evaluating how similar crisis interventions function within their local emergency response networks.

The takeaway

The study highlights how different measurement standards can radically change the perceived success of public service programs. Policymakers may use these new metrics to better evaluate the cost-benefit analysis of mobile crisis teams versus traditional police responses.