A large share of police calls in Los Angeles can be traced back to homelessness, at a time when departments are already short on officers. Behind each call is a mix of mental health crises, addiction, and conditions that rarely change after a single intervention. Why do so many people return to the same situation, even after contact with outside services?

In this episode, LAPD Commander Blake Chow talks about his decades of experience on the ground and what he learned about why these situations persist and what begins to shift when the response moves beyond isolated fixes.

*Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of California Insider.