As police adjust to reforms, crisis responders feel deserted

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

EVERETT — The man was in the midst of a manic episode. He refused psychiatric help, but he desperately needed it.

That’s what crisis responder Preston Hess determined when called to the man’s Snohomish County home earlier this month to assess whether he met the legal criteria for involuntary treatment.

He was pacing the home, talking about stabbing and killing, Hess observed. His parents had locked themselves in a bedroom.

But the man wasn’t taken to a hospital that day to be cleared for admission into a psychiatric facility — even though his mental illness had intensified to a point that he was a danger to himself and others, said Hess, who has more than 40 years of experience making such evaluations.

Law enforcement officers told Hess they couldn’t force the man to go. They cited a new law that limits use of force by police.

The man was arrested for assaulting a family member two days later, Hess said.

Snohomish County’s team of designated crisis responders fears this tragic-turn-of-events will become a recurring one as law enforcement officers, whom they’ve always relied upon to get gravely ill people the care they need, adjust their policies to align with the new legislation.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/as-police-adjust-to-reforms-crisis-responders-feel-deserted/

[mopinko]

1. sound like foot dragging cry babies to me.

maybe the need to tweak the language, but this rly reads like the cops are being babies about being told how to do their jobs.

[mercuryblues]

2. There is nothing wrong with the new law

The cops are refusing to do their job until the law changed so they can continue to beat on innocent people.

Even in the example you provoded, the guys parents locked themselves in a bedroom out of fear. The guy was threatening to kill and stab people....imminent danger. They were well within the law to help the crisis responder to get him help.

Screw them, they need to be fired.

[Tadpole Raisin]

3. Maybe the law was written poorly

- I’ve seen that before, or the police are using it as an excuse, interpreting the law to the extreme.

I suppose it is also possible they have been out there before and the parents pleaded with them not to hurt him even as he was acting wild and unpredictable (consistent with this subsequent assault). That could put the police in a very difficult position.

People need to step away from their hardened positions and try to work together to find solutions that make sense. I don’t pretend to know what that is but rigid people should be removed from that process. Political agendas don’t help anyone.