police Archives - Mediarabe

Researchers examine mental health effects of police violence at the population level

October 14, 2020

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.Oct 14 2020

The experience of police violence is associated with mental and emotional trauma distinct from that caused by other kinds of violence, creating a public health crisis for communities most affected.

Simply put, the experience of police violence puts Black, Latino, Indigenous, and sexual minority communities at higher risk of distinct mental health problems, in addition to greater risk of death at the hands of police, according to the paper.

The study is authored by a group of researchers at several universities, including UC Riverside, who have been examining the mental health effects of police violence at the population level for several years.

It’s a public health issue because police violence is not experienced equally in our society but instead has a disproportionate effect on the mental health of racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities. The point of our paper is to indicate

Care providers protest police violence in hospitals after Harbor-UCLA shooting

October 14, 2020

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L.A. County Sheriff's deputies gathered outside Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. — L.A. County sheriff’s deputies meet outside Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where multiple investigations are underway into a patient who was shot by a deputy last week. (KTLA-TV)

A group of care providers and activists gathered outside Harbor-UCLA Medical Center on Tuesday evening to protest police violence in hospitals after a patient was shot there last week by a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy.

“Hospitals are a place where we should be getting care,” said Mark-Anthony Clayton-Johnson, founder of the Frontline Wellness Network, a coalition of care providers working to end mass incarceration. “In that context, there should never be a reason why a law enforcement officer should use lethal force, such as a gun, on our folks.”

Clayton-Johnson, who does not work at the hospital but was scheduled to speak at Tuesday’s event, added: “Sheriffs shouldn’t have any place responding to crises in our hospitals when trained providers are better equipped

Vancouver police in pilot program that aims to address mental health crises

October 11, 2020

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The Vancouver Police Department announced Friday that it is partnering with a community-based organization to start a pilot program aimed at improving access to mental health services and treatments.

The city will share grant funding with Sea Mar, a federally qualified health center, to add three full-time mental health responder positions to assist Vancouver police officers in the field “in an on-call capacity during peak (police response) hours,” the police department announced in a news release.

The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs awarded nearly $315,000 to Vancouver to establish the pilot program. The money is part of $2 million set aside by the Washington Legislature. Nine grants were awarded statewide.

Funds were originally received in September 2019 to share with Clark County and Sea Mar. The Vancouver City and Clark County councils and the health center approved agreements for the use of the money in the following months.

As movement grows to reduce police involvement in mental health crisis calls, Virginia legislators try to figure out a statewide model | Local News

October 11, 2020

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A photo of Marcus-David Peters is displayed at the Robert E. Lee statue’s base on Monument Avenue in Richmond.

Del. Jeff Bourne, D-Richmond, (center) speaks during a public event in Richmond about legislative issues involving Virginia’s General Assembly.

Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William, gestures during a legislative session at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond.

Princess Blanding, the sister of Marcus-David Peters, who police shot and killed in Richmond in 2018, talks to reporters on May 17, 2018.

Marcus-David Peters had just left his job teaching high school biology and arrived at his second job at a hotel, where he worked as a security guard, when he apparently began to experience a mental health

Survey Explores Mental Health, Services Use in Police Officers

October 9, 2020

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New research shows that about a quarter of police officers in one large force report past or present mental health problems.

Responding to a survey, 26% of police officers on the Dallas Police Department screened positive for depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or symptoms of suicide ideation or self-harm.

Mental illness rates were particularly high among female officers, those who were divorced, widowed, or separated, and those with military experience.

The study also showed that concerns over confidentiality and stigma may prevent officers with mental illness from seeking treatment.

Dr Katelyn Jetelina

The results underscore the need to identify police officers with psychiatric problems and to connect them to the most appropriate individualized care, author Katelyn K. Jetelina, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Dallas, told Medscape Medical News.

“This is a

Philly embeds behavioral health specialist in 911 call center amid calls for police reform

October 9, 2020

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Philadelphia now has a behavioral health specialist embedded in the police dispatch center for the first time in the city’s history — a step that Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration said marks progress toward promised police reforms.

With behavioral health specialists assisting in the radio room, officials said the city can better identify 911 calls that involve mental health issues and offer services to those residents instead of arrest.

The initiative also includes a co-responder program, in which clinical staff and police work together to respond to such calls.“

The goal of the program is to safely deflect individuals with behavioral health needs away from the justice system and into more appropriate behavioral health care or social services in the community,” Kenney said.

The new program places clinical staffers with dispatchers to determine the best response to calls from the public or patrol officers involving behavioral health issues. A “triage

Marion City Council votes to approve new crisis counselor position for police department for intervention on mental health calls

October 9, 2020

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The Marion Police Department will soon have a crisis counselor embedded within the department.

During its Thursday night meeting, the Marion City Council voted unanimously to approve the agreement between the department and Foundation 2 Crisis Services for the law enforcement liaison. Foundation 2 is a nonprofit human services agency that offers mobile crisis services.

The crisis counselor will work with police officers on intervention regarding mental health-related calls to help with de-escalation and to assess where individuals should be referred for treatment and follow up services.

According to a department news release, the anticipated benefits of the new arrangement include a reduction in officer time spent responding to mental health-related calls, diverting individuals with mental health concerns from jail to behavioral health treatment, onsite consultation for officers regarding community interactions related to mental health, a reduction in officer’s use of force by utilizing alternative techniques and an increase in

Police seize $6K in THC products made to look like candy

October 8, 2020

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A Conroe man was jailed Thursday after being found in possession of nearly $6,000 in THC-containing consumable items resembling candy and snacks popular with kids, along with several hundreds of dollars and a firearm.

Gustavo Adolfo Rodriguez, 22, is being charged with possession of a controlled substance, between 4 and 400 grams, a first-degree felony, according to the Montgomery County Precinct 2 Constable’s Office.

THC, the primary psychoactive component of cannabis, was found labeled on many of the products, according to Precinct 2.

Around 6 a.m., Pct. 2 deputies and Conroe Police Department’s narcotics and SWAT raided a home on a warrant in the 200 block of Wagers. They found more than 100 commercially produced edible products labeled THC. They were colorfully packaged and made to look like products consumed by kids such as Gummy candies, SweeTarts and Cheetos, according to Precinct 2.

Authorities seized 80 packs of commercially produced

Why Are Police the Wrong Response to Mental Health Crises? (ep. 122)

October 8, 2020

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MOLLY KAPLAN
[00:00:01] From the ACLU, this is At Liberty. I’m Molly Kaplan, your host.

Over the last months, we’ve explored different conversations on the subject of policing: abolition, violence and accountability, protest and activism. Today, we’re digging into a topic that has gained more attention in the wake of Daniel Prude’s death in March at the hands of the Rochester Police Department.

We will dig into the startling connection between mental health 9-1-1 calls and police brutality. Studies show that nearly 50% of police victims are living with a disability, predominantly a mental health disability. In many ways, 9-1-1 has become the only option for people looking for mental health crisis intervention. And police often arrive at the scene armed with deadly weapons and a lack of mental health training. The results are devastating.

But there is hope. There are new alternatives to policing that can provide real care

Worcester Health Board Sought To Avoid ‘Berating’ Of Police: Docs

October 8, 2020

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WORCESTER, MA — The public was prevented from participating in recent Board of Health discussions about police reform following internal deliberations between the city attorney, police leaders and health department staff, emails show.

Days before an Aug. 24 Board of Health meeting featuring top police officials, City Solicitor Michael Traynor advised health department leaders they did not have to hold a public hearing to discuss 12 police reforms suggested by board member David Fort.

With that opinion, Board of Health Chair Edith Claros had the discretion to allow public comment during the meeting. Claros did not open the meeting for public comment, but did make an exception for the police union president.

“The chair has the discretion to accept public comment — or not — on any agenda item,” an Aug. 20 memo from Worcester Division of Public Health Director Karyn Clark read. “[Claros] is not interested in a [police