As the Chief of Police of a mid-size city with good funding, I have developed a plan to improve how we interact with and handle the mentally ill. Firstly, we plan to analyze the current police force to identify any gaps and what changes can be made to improve interactions with mentally ill persons. It is known that a significant part of mentally ill people ends up in prisons when they do not belong there and need long-term treatment (Hamilton, 2010). Therefore, we must look at the procedures and practices we use. Then, we plan to create and implement a support program to help police officers properly handle mentally ill patients and better understand their needs.
The reason for committing crimes by mentally unstable people is apparent and does not require additional explanations. Society needs an improved justice system coupled with government funding of treatment. Keeping and treating mentally ill people is extremely expensive, including hundreds of thousands of dollars per bed (Dvoskin et al., 2020). That is why the following program is necessary to prevent the criminalization of the behavior of sick people. The medical assistant’s role excludes criminal behavior (Jácome, 2020). Therefore, it is worth betting on working with the root causes, not eliminating consequences.
We plan to use resources and practices from the program recently introduced by the Houston Police Department. This program includes a set of procedures and practices for handling mental health issues that have been tested and proven in a real-world setting. In particular, we plan to use programs such as a support program for police officers, a training program for advocates of the rights of the mentally ill, a prevention program of social risks, and a program for using safe practices when handling mentally ill people.
To successfully implement this agenda, we plan to collaborate with local psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and other communities and organizations involved in mental health and well-being. Our program will include:
- seminars on topics such as alternative ways of handling mentally ill people,
- detecting signs of social risk,
- supporting the rights of the mentally ill
Our program will also include staff screening and monitoring that will allow us to track how our police officers interact with mentally ill patients. We also plan to conduct regular assessments and monitoring to ensure that our staff and practices are indeed working to improve how we interact with mentally ill patients. Furthermore, we plan to use success stories and other evidence to validate the effectiveness of our program.
In addition, it is worth conducting a social campaign among the population to inform for practical cooperation. Citizens should contact the appropriate departments immediately to help those in need. We will put maximum effort into providing our police officers and mentally ill patients with the best interaction possible. With our program, we can create a more conducive environment for all stakeholders and achieve success.
In conclusion, as the Chief of Police of a mid-size city, I have developed a comprehensive plan to improve how we handle interactions with mentally ill individuals. By analyzing our current practices and identifying gaps, we can create a support program to help police officers better understand the needs of the mentally ill. This plan includes a set of procedures and practices tested and proven in a real-world setting. By collaborating with local mental health professionals and other community organizations, we can ensure that our staff is adequately trained and supported. We will also conduct regular assessments and monitoring to ensure the effectiveness of our program. Ultimately, our goal is to prevent the criminalization of the behavior of mentally ill people, which will require working with the root causes rather than eliminating consequences. Our efforts can create a more conducive environment for all stakeholders involved, including mentally ill individuals, police officers, and the community.
References
Dvoskin, J. A., Knoll, J. L., & Silva, M. (2020). A brief history of the criminalization of mental illness. CNS spectrums, 25(5), 638-650. Web.
Hamilton, G. (2010). HPD Mental Health Cops [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Jácome, E. (2020). Mental health and criminal involvement: Evidence from losing medicaid eligibility. Job Market Paper, Princeton University. [PDF document]. Web.