01/07/2019
It is unfortunate officers have to deal with these kind of calls involving mental health people. While I can't vouch for the authenticity of this person's statement that mental health calls are more dangerous in every case than the others, and while I understand police need to deal with these kinds of calls, and take any call seriously. You must also consider...what about the welfare of the situation where someone turns out to obviously not be a serious threat, and is dealt with in a manner that makes their situation that they feel is hopeless worse, than better? I mean, is it a crime to have a mental illness? Is this any less of a form of discrimination than, say, a business refusing to serve a blind man or any other disability?
I have seen situations where I grew up where officers dealt with mental health situations very poorly, including one where someone committed su***de a week later because of the harsh way he was dealt with. An officer falsely told him, all for no other reason that this person, while not combative or belligerent, was crying loudly in the police car... he was going to "see to it" he would be getting a trumped up charge with a serious crime (one that would have landed him in prison for 20 years I might add, and would have put his life in serious danger in prison).
I feel just as big of a problem is that officers need to be trained more appropriately to deal with mental health situations in a way that not only protects them, but also protects the people involved in a way that does not worsen a situation. Since mental health can be worsened greatly by devastating events such as this one that can affect someone mentally, just as if someone has an injury that can be aggravated by something physical, I feel police need to be trained to have a better fine line between a mental health call where someone could be a serious threat, and one where someone is crying out for health, and a harsh response could worsen the situation more than it can help it.
"I've been on the scene for a couple of situations, and it's scarier than hell," Scharf said.
