Law enforcement in theory is suppose to help communities and protect citizens from crimes and violence. What happens when Law enforcement is more of a problem than a solution? Recently we have seen an influx of groups protesting police brutality against African-American communities; it led to the controversial group Black Lives Matter to shine a light on such injustices being committed in the United States. Police reform would have been a reasonable answer to such a lingering problem, instead there has been a doubling down of support for officers and the current status-quo of tactics used by police officers that are left to their discretion. The problem has grown to such uncomfortable proportions that any criticism towards police officers are often seen as pure disrespect and a call of “unpatriotic”. Groups further assembled the likes of Blue Lives Matter to shield police officers from any criticism caused by their actions.
Race relations have always been a prominent and volatile subject here in the United States; yet there much to be said about mental illness that often gets swept away under the rug.
In 2015 and 2016 combined, nearly 500 people with mental illness were fatally shot by the police, according to calculations by the Washington Post. This means that for each of those years, one in four police shootings was of a person with mental illness (vox,2015).
As reported by Vox 1 in 4 police shootings was of a person with illness (Vox,2015); which brings the question why is this the case one of the most wealthiest and developed countries in the world? There have been efforts to create an intervention to help mitigate the loss of life in cases like these. Psychologists often release reports highlighting the sad realities of individuals suffering from mental illness being very likely to be killed by police officers. It’s important to state that this in no way is an effort to paint all law enforcement with a broad brush as there are police officers who don’t receive enough credit for diffusing situations using calm and stern approaches to not only save lives of individuals but also to protect themselves. Yet, that is not what is being argued, the problem is larger and it revolves around the inability to enact progressive reform in police departments. Police officers need to learn how to diffuse situations with individuals especially those suffering from mental illness; the tactics that need to be used are not of a full force/lethal force but of intelligence and compassion.
Although Keith was calm, the officer called for backup. Bryon Vassey, an officer from the neighboring Southport Police Department, showed up. Vassey is in his mid-40s; he has broad shoulders, a thick neck, a ruddy face, and close-cropped hair. He’d been on the Southport police force for 11 years. “I don’t have time for this shit,
There were two officers across his chest; his stepfather was at his side, trying to get the screwdriver. Wilsey was behind her husband. Seconds later, Vassey pulled out his gun and shot the boy in the chest. The EMTs rushed him to the local hospital, where he was declared dead.
As shown above this was a case of an officer not assessing the situation properly and it led to the death of a young adult whose parents called 911 to help him. The continuation of such police brutality will deter individuals from seeking help from law enforcement in such cases; this can lead to much more dangerous situations. There is a desperate need for police officers to be better trained to understand how to deal with mentally ill individuals through advocacy groups who have the ability to help officers understand which forms of intervention are effective in mitigating death or injury. It’s also important to understand that criticism of police officers isn’t disrespect but a civil duty in order to protect all members of society who interact with police officers.
Roth, A. (2018, May 30). A worried mom wanted the police to take her mentally ill son to the hospital. They shot him. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2018/5/30/17406900/police-shootings-mental-illness-book-vidal-vassey-mental-health
This is an interesting point and certainly one that is not always discussed in mainstream media. According to a study by the Treatment Advocacy Center, people with untreated mental illnesses are 16 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement during an encounter.
Police officers are supposed to be trained in how to deal with people suffering from mental illness. But considering the continued problem of police brutality against mentally ill individuals, it appears that officers are not getting the intended message. Often, one of the disturbing aspects of police brutality is the justification. There are known cases when a police officer shoots and kills a victim and turns around and claims that the victim provoked the officer into shooting them (“suicide by cop”). When people have a medical emergency an ambulance is called, when someone has a mental emergency, the police are called, but are they the appropriate contact? It’s really unfortunate, they are the first point of contact and they “supposed” to be trained on assessing and resolving the situation but that has not been the outcome. A recommendation that I would make is the local police departments hire licensed mental health professionals as part of an emergency response team. This would ensure that someone who is trained and experienced in dealing with these types of situations is available to help de-escalate the situation versus making a decision that is irreversible.
Good Post!
Reference
Carroll, H. (n.d.). People with Untreated Mental Illness 16 Times More Likely to Be Killed By Law Enforcement. Retrieved from http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/key-issues/criminalization-of-mental-illness/2976-people-with-untreated-mental-illness-16-times-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-law-enforcement-