http://www.policeone.com/edp/articles/4777758-What-mentally-ill-subjects-want-cops-to-know/
There has been a movement in the
out to the police and explain what it is they need from the police when they
are contacted in the field. This is a
valuable concept, but the communication must be two way. Mentally ill people ask for understanding and
that police accommodate their unique needs. Mentally ill people also need to understand police and accommodate our
unique needs too.
Much of the gist of their complaint is that police often get
too close to them, speak harshly to them and don’t give them enough
respect. Certainly when there is no
immediate risk of harm to anyone, we can stand off; speak softly and
respectfully to just about anyone. If it
helps an officer to reach the objective of keeping the peace and enforcing the
law, the certainly those are good tactics.
We can’t jeopardize the safety of ourselves, the public or
even the disturbed person however. We
still have to gain control over the situation, that often means patting someone
down for weapons, and handcuffing them so they can’t attack us or others. We have to put people into the cage in our
police car too. Be sympathetic and
caring to those who are ill, but don’t take chances with officer safety, that’s
what the SGT Says.
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2 comments:
Sorry, I find it difficult to take any advice from Cops that don't carry guns. I also heard that in England if you stop someone driving without a license, they have 6 weeks to prove they have a license before any penalties kick in. If that's true, why bother to get a license until after you're stopped.
The nature of law enforcement is very different in many parts of the world. I wish we did not need guns but even in the UK gun crime is up as people reject traditional values of law and order.
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