Our firm has been a proponent of Phoenix non-profit “David’s Hope” for years. A recent article in the Arizona Republic gives a broad-reaching update, and spotlights founder Mary Brncik’s work on behalf of the mentally disabled in reducing violent interactions with law enforcement.
A recent white paper by the Ruderman Family Foundation claims that fully 1/3 of all people killed by police officers are mentally disabled. Remember that even loved ones may call the police when they do not know how to handle a situation.
Police agencies say that the mentally disabled should be handled by mental health professionals, not the police. Police reports are likely not to record whether or not a suspect has a mental disability.
The Phoenix Police Department have used a “Crisis Intervention Training” system to more efficiently connect people in crisis to the services they need, for over 14 years. This training requires 40 hours, and it is estimated that 25% of officers receive it.
In addition, a designated mental health squad has been created in the Phoenix PD. All of these initiatives are aimed at providing better outcomes, and eliminating violence.
See the original article, by Sara Weber of Cronkite News, here.
