Mental health and criminal justice in Maricopa County
This week’s Think Tank explores what mental health options are available in Maricopa County and how police and jail staff are trained.
(KTAR Photo/Mike O'Neil)
(KTAR Photo/Mike O'Neil)
The police get a call for service. When they arrive, they encounter a person with obvious mental problems who has caused a disturbance or committed an illegal act of some sort.
What options do the police have under such circumstances? Do they arrest and put the mentally-disturbed offender in jail? Or are there viable alternatives?
Or someone is arrested, put in jail, and it becomes evident that they have severe mental problems. What options does the jail have?
This week’s Think Tank explores what options are available in Maricopa County, how these have changed over the years and how police and jail staff are trained to deal with situations like these.
Our guests include two mental health experts Dr. Dawn Noggle and Sheley Curran, retired Scottsdale Police lieutenant Frank O’Halloran, and citizen activist Mary Lou Brnick.
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Comments
3 Comments
Transperency? Police transport is cruel,handcuffed,locked in patrol car,sitting on hard plastic seat,no air conditioning. Police treat mentally ill BADLY, It's hard to keep 1 cit officer on a squad,police bark orders,arrest u for not obeying. This retired officer is out of touch with modern day policing. Police perceive mentally ill as criminals,when did it become criminal to be mentally ill and ask for help? So sad, chance of CIT officer responding to crisis call....roll of dice. Police should not be first responders for crisis calls.
True story- women called crisis line(depressed) rookie officer says I'm ANNOYED responding to this type of call, your under arrest for disorderly conduct. She sat in a cell for 5 hours, charge was dropped at court. Police are the problem, never call them for a mental health issue.
When the cops come up on something that can take some "thinking outside of the box", the most immediate reaction has been to use their weapon. There is much to learn about mental health issues with regards to law enforcement. This discussion is way over due.