One UK thug department made a success of deciding to shift various kinds of non-crime requests to other agencies.

One effect is that the department is better able to deal with crimes. I presume that the people suffering psychological crises are safer now, too, for not having to deal with armed thugs who might wound or kill them.

The article describes the sorts of planning, advance notice, training, and pressure on other agencies that were necessary to make this a success. It also required some other agencies to hire people to do the visits that the thugs no longer do. It would be worth doing, but the Tories may not cooperate. The ambulance service is already overloaded and its underpaid workers have held strikes.

Nonetheless, this example shows that the policy change is good provided the government carries out all the necessary parts.