A major problem with having to fulfill this role is that the police have little training in performing this kind of triage ( 3, 4, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13). ![]() It would appear that many officers have grown accustomed to this role and consider it one of their duties ( 7) however, other officers do so reluctantly, and some with resentment ( 10). This responsibility thrusts them into the role of primary gatekeepers who determine whether the mental health or the criminal justice system can best meet the needs of the individual with acute psychiatric problems ( 9).Īs a result, law enforcement officers may have assumed the role of "street-corner psychiatrist" by default. They are responsible for either recognizing the need for treatment for an individual with mental illness and connecting the person with the proper treatment resources ( 7) or making the determination that the individual's illegal activity is the primary concern and that the person should be arrested ( 8). The police are typically the first and often the sole community resource called on to respond to urgent situations involving persons with mental illness. With respect to persons with mental illness, police in all states have the power to transport persons for psychiatric evaluation and treatment when there is probable cause to think that they are a danger to themselves or to others because of their mental condition. ![]() Police officers have a legal obligation to respond to calls and to provide services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Often both principles are involved when police are dealing with persons with mental illness who pose a threat of danger to the community or to themselves. The rationale for the police to intervene in the lives of persons with mental illness derives from two common-law principles: the power and authority of the police to protect the safety and welfare of the community, and the state's paternalistic or parens patriae authority, which dictates protection for citizens with disabilities who cannot care for themselves, such as those who are acutely mentally ill ( 5, 6). Collaboration between the law enforcement and mental health systems is crucial, and the very different areas of expertise of each should be recognized and should not be confused. The need for police officers to have training in recognizing mental illness and knowing how to access mental health resources is emphasized. The authors describe a variety of mobile crisis teams composed of police, mental health professionals, or both. Criminalization may result if this role is not performed appropriately. The police often fulfill the role of gatekeeper in deciding whether a person with mental illness who has come to their attention should enter the mental health system or the criminal justice system. Two common-law principles provide the rationale for the police to take responsibility for persons with mental illness: their power and authority to protect the safety and welfare of the community, and their parens patriae obligations to protect individuals with disabilities. This article examines and comments on the issues raised by this phenomenon as it affects both the law enforcement and mental health systems. With deinstitutionalization and the influx into the community of persons with severe mental illness, the police have become frontline professionals who manage these persons when they are in crisis.
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