A new report from the city controller's office questions the effectiveness of the LAPD's signature crisis response program, saying clinicians trained in de-escalation too often are forced to defer to armed patrol officers. For years, Los Angeles Police Department officials have touted the success of the Systemwide Mental Assessment Response Team, or SMART. But critics say the program, which pairs licensed specialists with officers in unmarked cars, is failing in the crucial initial minutes of encounters when multiple police shootings of mentally ill people have occurred.