Viewpoint: Amid A National Mental Health Crisis, Let's Invest In Policing

"Get rid of the police" calls from the Black Lives Matter movement and partisan national politics following the summer of unrest following the death of George Floyd have become a faint echo of a call that many of us would rather not hear. never. It happened. The nature and degree of "stripping" varies depending on who you ask, but the almost universal definition is that it requires funds and resources to be pulled from police departments for other public welfare services. Over time, politicians and activists mostly But that cry will return, raising a loud cry every time there is another incident of police-involved use of force.

It's often the case that the best quarterback is the one off the field on Monday morning. The same is true when it comes to solving these endless tragedies, especially when the victims are known to have suffered from some form of mental disorder. Then every member of society becomes, as if by magic, an expert in conflict resolution, intervention and crisis resolution. And we hasten to raise the flag of definition.

There is much that the public does not know or understand about community policing, and I intend to present some of the facts in this article. Law enforcement is not the primary or only function of the police. Felony accounts for less than 20% of all police actions in the history of American policing. Evidence shows that police officers play a greater role in responding to mental health crises, medical emergencies, substance abuse, crime victims, homelessness, personal conflicts and other social issues that would otherwise require the attention of service professionals. Some studies show that 50-90% of an officer's daily duties involve social service. In this regard, policemen are standard social workers of society, but amateurs, without training.

Next steps: Community meeting to discuss mental health crisis units in South Bend

There is a gap between what society envisions, demands and expects from law enforcement and what it invests in resources to ensure the success of community policing. If communities are serious about policing reform, a new vision of public safety is needed that recognizes that society and the nature of our problems are changing, as are our understandings and approaches. Mental health is the new battlefront and we need police and community collaboration for a unified community policing. But the atmosphere is so poisoned that there is so much mistrust between communities and law enforcement, hence the divestment movement. It is necessary to understand that the call itself is not a moment, but a movement that cannot be overlooked in oblivion.

A recent poll concluded that a majority of people (90%) believe the United States is in a mental health crisis. However, this recognition is not matched by efforts to intervene in the growing crisis. Instead, there have been calls to cut law enforcement budgets and cut funding for mental health and social services. Any proposed solution aimed at avoiding policing fails to understand the intractable intersection between mental health and policing.

As a social worker, I would not feel comfortable taking a mental health call without a police officer present, and I have yet to meet one who did. We need to invest in policing as an alternative to dispute and conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation. We must seek alternative approaches to effective policing. We must be prepared to understand the dynamics, challenges and opportunities of policing in the various communities we serve. We must continue the trend of integrating social workers into the local police force.

St. Joseph County Sheriff William Redman spearheaded the creation of the crisis unit, which currently has two officers specializing in mental health and substance abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault and human trafficking. I believe this was a big factor in his re-election as sheriff.

Attitude: Take a proactive approach to the mental health crisis in our community

Time, apparently, managed to drown out the amplified voices calling to "undress" for the time being. But a growing chorus is emerging, and it's only a matter of time before we're faced with a group of young people driven by blind passion. They are motivated and driven by a changing socio-cultural landscape in an environment plagued by the onslaught of addiction, mental health crisis and pandemics that continue to threaten our global symbiosis. It's time to act, and it's never too late to start such conversations in our homes, schools, places of worship, social clubs and workplaces. Let's change the way we think about law enforcement, put more money into programs that improve public policing, and build a culture that fosters civil dialogue about the toughest issues we face.

Henry Mudari is a mental health social worker in St. Petersburg. Joseph County Police Department Crisis Services Unit.

This article originally appeared in the South Bend Tribune: Police officers are society's standard social workers, but they are amateurs.

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