health
Don't make law enforcement the backup plan for healthcare cuts
We’ve all seen it: Officers respond to someone in the midst of a mental health crisis or an overdose. As a former officer and police chief in Irving, Texas, I saw those painful moments again and again. We answered those calls because someone had to, but too often, we were being asked to respond to people in crisis with tools never meant for that job.
TL;DR
- Law enforcement is frequently responding to mental health crises and overdoses due to inadequate crisis care systems.
- Cuts to healthcare and mental health funding cause these issues to migrate to street corners, emergency rooms, and police responses.
- The criminal justice system is ill-equipped to handle mental health treatment and stabilization, leading to individuals being incarcerated rather than receiving care.
- Co-response models pairing officers with mental health professionals are a step forward but cannot replace a fully funded mental health system.
- Public safety is dependent on public health capacity; reversing cuts to mental health funding and investing in stabilization and diversion is critical.