60 Minutes II Investigates Police Training and Mental Illness

60 Minutes II Investigates Police Training and Mental Illness

NAMI E-News

TUESDAY, JUNE 26 AT 9:00 PM (EST)

"When the police are after you, you may be safer if you are a murderer than if you are mentally ill," declares a promotional announcement from CBS News. It is a story that will be told on the news magazine 60 Minutes II with Dan Rather on Tuesday, June 26th 9:00 PM (EST).

"Most mentally ill people live ordinary lives... just like everyone else," CBS News carefully notes. However, the show will examine those instances when individuals with mental illness are not well and come into contact with police. Often, that's when police get what they term EDP calls - calls involving emotionally disturbed people.

CBS News points out that, "frequently, the police who respond are trained to deal with murderers, not people with manic depression, and when this happens both sides are at risk."

For consumers and families, these kinds of situations can become their worst possible nightmare. NAMI long has supported greater police training and programs modeled after Memphis, Tennessee's Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT). In too many instances, police are forced to serve as front-line psychiatric workers.

In addition to police-training, community-based programs that provide adequate treatment, support, and recovery are needed.

For more information on CITs, please go to the NAMI Web site at http://www.nami.org/legal/crim.html

For information on our work to create a CIT program in Santa Cruz County, click here.

Opinions expressed in this web site do not necessarily reflect the views of NAMI Santa Cruz County, NAMI California or any affiliated organizations. We attempt to present a balanced perspective on issues by presenting multiple viewpoints.

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