by Robert Parmer
We live in a country still unfortunately filled with some social, physical health, and mental health stigmas. America doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to these types of shaming behaviors and that is, to put it lightly, disappointing. When it comes to the way our country’s police force deals with people struggling with mental health illnesses, the problem is one that has bloomed into something almost unimaginable.
When American citizens think of who is responsible for violent crimes in society, then often attribute it to people with mental problems. This is a huge misconception. The majority of these people are not dangerous, they are suffering. It’s easy for people that are cognitively healthy to look right past these issues and continue to take a judgmental and incriminating approach.
American police forces definitely struggle with this on the daily. Giving whole new meaning to incrimination of the unstable, officers have had countless controversies that have been made public over the years. Police officers have no problem using forces that are considered “less lethal” than simply beating or shooting citizens. Yes, ‘less-lethal’ rather than ‘non-lethal.’ They tase the homeless to force them to leave areas, as well as people with severe mental issues, although it’s unclear whether or not the victims of this treatment can even understand officers’ instructions in the first place. It is important to note that mental symptoms impact physical health and preying on the homeless and unstable is of zero validity.
Lets take a look at a direct example of this that has made headlines recently. The case of 17-year-old Kristiana Coignard from Longview, TX is completely nonsensical. Coignard suffered from extreme depression and bipolar disorder, while trying to cope with the fact that her mother died when she was only four. She was shot and killed by police officers in the lobby of her local police station. Coignard entered the police station on her own terms as a cry for help, and the claim is that she was wielding a weapon, a small knife. Keep in mind that the facts of this case have remained very vague, and the fact also stands that she was a small teenage girl.
Depression and bipolar disorder are not easy illnesses to cope with, but it’s worth pointing out that they are still somewhat mild compared to people that are facing disorders such as schizophrenia, antisocial, or other delusional disorders.
Studies have been conducted on whether or not there is a significant link to mental illnesses and crime. An article on the American Psychological Association’s website points out that only about 7.5 percent of violent crimes committed have a connection to people showing symptoms of cognitive dysfunction. The lead researcher at APA, Jillian Peterson, PhD, takes the following stance:
“When we hear about crimes committed by people with mental illnesses, they tend to be big headline-making crimes so they get stuck in people’s heads. The vast majority of people with mental illness are not violent, not criminal, and not dangerous.”
As a whole, our country is over-criminalizing individuals that fit these types of demographics. It’s an easy way out for the police and it is both avoiding and pigeonholing the real issues. While researching this topic, I recognized that there are some police forces trying to reform their standardized opinions and tactics. I found a short documentary that was very insightful. It is titled Why Are We Using Prisons to Treat Mental Illness? A point that was brought up in this documentary really stands out. It states that police officers are not typically equipped with the knowledge to deal with situations regarding mental struggles. They barge in with force and intimidation, rather than using subtler communication techniques and a spirit of compromise that might actually help. A San Antonio police officer made this statement:
“I would get calls all the time when I was on patrol, for a person who was in a mental health crisis. I had no clue how to handle it. I would just keep getting the repeat calls every couple days or every week to the same house, to the same person, and I just accepted that this person is going to be a repeat caller.”
He follows up by explaining that his police department has made huge headway with this issue by utilizing psychological education and integrating this into officer requirements. Far too many American citizens are struggling with being made prisoners when in reality they should be patients. The San Antonio PD is aiming to change that. They are making changes to typical protocol that involve showing up to calls involving people with cognitive problems in a much more calm, collected manner. Oftentimes, they will show up these scenarios in street clothes rather than being armed to the teeth and wearing intimidating uniforms.
Other police forces need to take note of the San Antonio’s unique perspective on this relevant issue. They are advocating change to what up to now has been an uncaring system, and that is a giant step in the right direction. Using proper communication and an understanding attitude, and discarding seemingly standard intimidation techniques will drastically improve the society we live in. We can offer counseling programs and therapy rather than wasting tax payers’ resources on the costs of incriminating and imprisoning misunderstood victims.
Please click here to view Robert Parmer’s earlier post:
Five Best Modern Crime Movies: Five Standout Films
Robert Parmer is a freelance web writer and student of Boise State University. Outside of writing and reading adamantly he enjoys creating and recording music, caring for his pet cat, and commuting by bicycle whenever possible.