Here is an interesting article: usat.ly/1fJTcAU It opens with a story about Aaron Alexis, the Navy Yard shooter. It notes that in August, the Newport, Rhode Island police were summoned to a Marriott because Alexis was holed up there complaining about voices in his head..."imaginary demons". Think about this for a moment. Prior to the deaths at Navy Yard, Alexis came to the attention of the police. This is not a unique situation. As the article notes "By some national estimates, law enforcement and health officials say, up
to 20% of police calls involve people whose behavior ranges from the
dysfunctional to serious mental illness. Ron Honberg, the National
Alliance on Mental Illness' director of policy and legal affairs, said
even 20% may be a conservative estimate." In Newport, it is estimated that the number of calls regarding the mentally ill with behavioral problems is even higher...up to 40%.
Because these numbers are such a challenge, and a particularly difficult aspect of ensuring the public safety, we need to look at ways to appropriately deal with the issues presented by the mentally ill. In Memphis, a program to address these issues has been established. It involves the use of a CIT...a crisis intervention team of officers specially trained to deal with the issues presented by the mentally ill. It was established in response to the police shooting of a 27 year-old mentally ill man. We can all recognize this kind of scenario today. It happens often. And to resolve it, we need to think as creatively as Memphis did. This will require resources to refer people to when in crisis...which is something that we don't have. Which brings us back to what the article focused on. How many people have to die before we look at ways to creatively deal with the needs of a society coping with mental illness? Thirteen died at the Navy Yard. Thirteen human beings. People with families. It is time to make changes. And in order to create the political desire to make such changes, WE have to pressure the politicians. Are you ready for that? I am!
So, what is our next step? We need to have a national dialogue and brainstorm solutions. What kinds of services do we need? How can the police become more of a proactive presence in dealing with the mental illness that they come up against? What kinds of resources will they need to ensure our safety? How can we humanely treat the mentally ill...even the Aaron Alexis type of mental illness that may eventually result in violence? What are the costs of acting? What are the costs of not acting? How long are we willing to pay the price?
Because these numbers are such a challenge, and a particularly difficult aspect of ensuring the public safety, we need to look at ways to appropriately deal with the issues presented by the mentally ill. In Memphis, a program to address these issues has been established. It involves the use of a CIT...a crisis intervention team of officers specially trained to deal with the issues presented by the mentally ill. It was established in response to the police shooting of a 27 year-old mentally ill man. We can all recognize this kind of scenario today. It happens often. And to resolve it, we need to think as creatively as Memphis did. This will require resources to refer people to when in crisis...which is something that we don't have. Which brings us back to what the article focused on. How many people have to die before we look at ways to creatively deal with the needs of a society coping with mental illness? Thirteen died at the Navy Yard. Thirteen human beings. People with families. It is time to make changes. And in order to create the political desire to make such changes, WE have to pressure the politicians. Are you ready for that? I am!
So, what is our next step? We need to have a national dialogue and brainstorm solutions. What kinds of services do we need? How can the police become more of a proactive presence in dealing with the mental illness that they come up against? What kinds of resources will they need to ensure our safety? How can we humanely treat the mentally ill...even the Aaron Alexis type of mental illness that may eventually result in violence? What are the costs of acting? What are the costs of not acting? How long are we willing to pay the price?
No comments:
Post a Comment