Research examining the effects of COVID-19 on the criminal legal system—including the demand for police services—is accumulating. However, few empirical inquiries have sought to examine the pandemic’s effect on mental health and wellbeing by analyzing calls for service (CFS) involving emotionally disturbed persons (EDP). This study examines CFS received pre- and post-pandemic by Houston’s crisis intervention team (CIT). By examining visual trends and using interrupted time-series analysis (ITSA), we analyze COVID-19’s immediate and long-term effects. In the current study we examine three distinct call types: (1) Risk to others; (2) Risk to self; and (3) Welfare calls. Findings demonstrate significant increases in the overall CFS after the implementation of the initial stay-at-home order in Houston, with some differences in trends based on call type. These findings further our understanding of COVID-19’s impact on mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic through the lens of the increased demand for police services. Specific implications for the study site department are discussed, and to the extent possible, general implications for other departments with CIT programs.

检验 COVID-19 对刑事法律体系（包括对警察服务的需求）影响的研究正在不断积累。然而，很少有实证调查试图通过分析涉及情绪困扰者 (EDP) 的服务呼吁 (CFS) 来研究大流行对心理健康和福祉的影响。本研究调查了休斯顿危机干预小组 (CIT) 在大流行前后收到的 CFS。通过检查视觉趋势并使用间断时间序列分析 (ITSA)，我们分析了 COVID-19 的直接和长期影响。在当前的研究中，我们研究了三种不同的呼叫类型：（1）对他人的风险； (2) 自身风险； (3) 福利电话。调查结果表明，在休斯顿实施最初的居家令后，总体 CFS 显着增加，但根据呼叫类型的趋势存在一些差异。这些发现通过对警察服务需求的增加，进一步加深了我们对大流行期间 COVID-19 对心理健康和福祉的影响的理解。讨论了对研究中心部门的具体影响，并尽可能讨论了对其他具有 CIT 计划的部门的一般影响。