Comment by danaris
3 days ago
> police are by far the best equipped to keep responders and bystanders safe
Are they, though?
Increasingly, in the US, police are being trained to respond to any hint of danger with hair-trigger reflexes and lethal force. They are being taught to see themselves as constantly under siege, and every member of the public who's not a wealthy, able-bodied white person as a potential enemy, actively seeking to kill them.
If I knew there was someone with a mental illness nearby that made them sometimes violent and unpredictable, the person I would want around wouldn't be a police officer. It would be someone who's actually trained to interact with the mentally ill and de-escalate situations.
Sure, it might also be helpful to have someone who's physically strong enough to temporarily (safely) restrain the person having a psychotic episode, or a PTSD flashback, or just a plain old panic attack, to ensure they can't harm themselves or anyone around them while they are being helped.
But if someone has one of those kinds of problems, and I'm nearby, the last thing I want is for a heavily-armed member of the Aryan Brotherhood with a badge to shoot them dead and then boast about it online.
> It would be someone who's actually trained to interact with the mentally ill and de-escalate situations.
This is great when it works. But sometimes, people having mental health crises just don't want to be de-escalated, you try all the techniques and it doesn't work. (Just like with other medical calls—sometimes you do all the appropriate interventions, but the patient keeps getting sicker anyway.) Physical force should be the last resort, but sometimes there is unfortunately no other choice. (Source: I am an EMT)
> Physical force should be the last resort, but sometimes there is unfortunately no other choice.
It makes no sense to have "first responders" who default to your "last resort".
"OK, so, we think there's a typo in one of the customer records so I've restored from this morning's backup"
"But that loses six hours of work! That's crazy, why did you do that?"
"Restoring from backup is our last resort"
"What else did you try?"
"Oh I never try anything else. I just restore from backup and that resolves it"
Yes, that would make no sense, that's why it's not what I said.
It takes time for responders to arrive on scene. Even if police end up not usually not being needed, there can be value in calling for them ahead of time so that they are available in case they do end up being needed. On the other hand, their presence alone can cause issues even if they don't do anything. That's why it's a tough call
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