Except that, we are paying officers not to be "
defensive and reactive." Officer training is not just about learning the laws, how to make an arrest, how to cuff someone, or shoot them. Though, I will admit, it really takes a village to work with the mentally ill.
To wit.
I used to live in a town where we had what people referred to as our town schizophrenic. I'll call him "
Joe" just make the story easier to tell. In any event, everyone in our community knew this man. He mostly stayed on his meds but every so often, he would go off them. When that occurred, he might run up and down the streets, screaming at people, real or imagined, sometimes cursing, and striking at his invisible tormentors.
One or many of our community would call the police department, never a 911 call, and tell them, "
Joe's off his meds again." The officers were familiar with this man, so they, along with paramedics would come out and "
net" him. This was basically a way of containing him that was safe for both he, the officers, the paramedics, and the public, so he could be put on a 72 hour hold.
To outsiders, or untrained LE, his behavior might seem frightening, threatening, even. And, in maybe another town, he might have gotten the
Fullerton Treatment.
