Q&A
Review of police department's handling of mentally disturbed persons
1:04:19
ยท
106 sec
Council Member Brewer raises concerns about the police department's handling of mentally disturbed persons and inquires if the Inspector General's office could investigate this issue. Commissioner Strauber acknowledges the importance of the topic and confirms that it falls within their investigative scope.
- Previous report on law enforcement's involvement with people in mental health crisis
- Potential areas for investigation include crisis intervention training and co-responder programs
- Recognition of the complexity and timeliness of the issue
Gale A. Brewer
1:04:19
This is where you need your 15 staff members, 15 to 20 staff members.
1:04:23
Another idea.
1:04:24
At least.
1:04:24
Okay.
1:04:25
I've been out with BEHARD.
1:04:26
I I have great respect for the social workers, the EMS workers, the police department, and the it's hard to know, with people with mental illness.
1:04:36
It is the number one issue in New York right now.
1:04:38
They often have unfortunate lives and outcomes.
1:04:42
So would the IG have the expertise and capacity to look into the police department's handling of a mostly disturbed persons?
1:04:50
For example, the extent to which officers receive crisis intervention training.
1:04:54
I know it's been talked about, but it needs to be looked at.
1:04:57
How often, there's a co responder, those are the social workers, and whether the PD tracks and analyzes its encounters with these individuals.
1:05:07
Are there any reviews of high profile incidents?
1:05:10
This is the issue in New York City right now.
1:05:13
So I I How could you report a week?
Jocelyn Strauber
1:05:16
It is it is a very important issue right now.
1:05:18
It is also an issue, again, not during my tenure, that the office did a report on, not necessarily addressing all of the things you're mentioning, some of which are obviously current issues.
1:05:27
But we did do a report on law enforcement's addressing involvement with people who are in mental health crisis and and different responding systems that might be put in place to address those circumstances.
1:05:39
And, yes, that is that is another issue, you know, that that we could look at.
1:05:42
As as I think these questions show, these are very complicated, you know, issues sometimes involving and some of this stuff is happening in real time, and it can take a while to get data, not necessarily just because of delays, but because it takes a while for for the data to exist and and following people through the system, etcetera.
1:06:05
But, yes.
Gale A. Brewer
1:06:05
Post pandemic, that needs to be done.