Mental Health and Police Violence

In the past, there have been many cases where law enforcement failed to respond carefully and compassionately to mental health incidents. Some ended fatally when police didn’t recognize the symptoms of mental health episodes. As mental health issues within communities have increased over the past 40 years, inpatient services have decreased. Therefore, police departments have had to meet the growing needs of individuals suffering mental health emergencies. Police officers not only are the first responders to these crises, but often are the only source of immediate service for urgent mental health activities. It’s important that we address the significance of mental health training in law enforcement and increase collaboration between police and mental health professionals.

Since 2015, nearly a quarter of all people killed by police officers in America had a known mental illness. This is because these individuals are more likely to encounter law enforcement than medical assistance in times of crisis. A primary concern for officers is how to effectively de-escalate mental health incidents when appropriate procedures are unknown to them. So far, within their programs, law enforcement agencies have failed to include training involving recognizing mental health episodes and de-escalating the situation without force or violence. One tragic case involving Daniel Prude proves just how delicately the situation must be handled. Daniel, a 41-year old man, suffered a drug-induced mental breakdown. He was naked and roaming the streets of New York City when police confronted him. Officers handcuffed him and put a hood over his head, apparently to stop him from spitting at them. Three officers pinned him to the ground, and pressed his face into the pavement for two minutes while one officer pushed heavily on Prude's head. Prude stopped breathing and was taken off life support at a local hospital a week later. While the police may argue that there were no dangerous weapons involved, we can all agree that current restraining methods must be reformed. 

While these incidents are tragic, they have forced us to address this issue by considering ways to improve. Recognizing that there is a problem is a vital step in supporting both individuals and their families, as well as law enforcement in their response. It’s vital that all groups work collectively to spread awareness of the different types of mental illnesses, provide training to improve police response through collaboration, and, if possible, implement a team dedicated solely to crisis intervention for mental health episodes. This team would consist of mental health professionals who are unarmed and trained in de-escalation tactics. No weapons or hoods would be used - just the power of calm talk. For law enforcement, the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model involves 40 hours of training led by mental health professionals. Its curriculum includes the signs and symptoms of mental illness, medications, de-escalation skills, and treatment options available in the community. 

With these changes, we can save innocent people’s lives and get them the help they need. Police officers should be able to recognize when someone is in need of intervention and act accordingly. 

References
Westervelt, E. (2020). Mental health and police violence: How crisis intervention teams are failing. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2020/09/18/913229469/mental-health-and-police-violence-how-crisis-intervention-teams-are-failing

Widgery, A. (2020). Increasing collaboration between police and mental health professionals. National Conference of State Legislatures. Retrieved from https://www.ncsl.org/blog/2019/12/17/increasing-collaboration-between-police-and-mental-health-professionals.aspx