Abstract
The police in America are often the first representatives of government to interact with the mentally ill, even more so with those who may be prone to violent or irrational behavior. Given the prevalence of mental illness, not only in the general public, but more so in homeless and incarcerated populations, it is obvious that the police must have a more concrete understanding of the plethora of mental illnesses, symptoms and actions that may be encountered. This chapter will examine these concerns in the United States, with specific emphasis placed on the policies and practices of the New York City Police Department.
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Notes
- 1.
The New York City Police Department defines an emotionally disturbed person as, “A person who appears to be mentally ill or temporarily deranged and is conducting himself in a manner which a police officer reasonably believes is likely to result in serious injury to himself or others.” New York City Police Department Patrol Guide Procedure 221–13 p. 1.
- 2.
Zone of Safety is the distance to be maintained between the EDP and the responding member(s) of the service. This distance should be greater than the effective range of the weapon (other than a firearm), and it may vary with each situation (e.g. type of weapon possessed, condition of EDP, surrounding area, etc.). A minimum distance of twenty feet is recommended. An attempt will be made to maintain the “zone of safety” if the EDP does not remain stationary. New York City Police Department Patrol Guide Procedure 221–13 p. 1.
- 3.
Vecchi, G. M., Van Hasselt, V. B., & Romano, S. J. (2005). Crisis (hostage) negotiation: Current strategies and issues in high-risk conflict resolution. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 10(5), 533–551.
- 4.
Centers for Disease Control April 27, 2018 / 67(6); 1–23 (2017).
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Tobin, T.C. (2019). Policing and Special Populations: Strategies to Overcome Policing Challenges Encountered with Mentally Ill Individuals. In: Albrecht, J.F., den Heyer, G., Stanislas, P. (eds) Policing and Minority Communities. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19182-5_5
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