Bob Joseph, Jr.: Mental health services need to be combined with police work

To The Daily Sun,

Defund police departments? Disband police departments? These thoughts seem to be a rallying cause following the multiple fatal incidents regarding people of color vs. law enforcement. No doubt there is a common consensus on this topic. This must be discussed further. Please recall the last sentence in the preamble of the Constitution, indicating our right to safety, health, and welfare.

Law enforcement has metamorphosed over time. Perhaps we need to do this once more. A city, Eugene ,Oregon provides a unique merger of social services and law enforcement. It is called CAHOOTS. (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) This essentially adds a new dimension in law enforcement. We do not need to defund police departments or disband them. It works for this city of 170,000 citizens. It took a while for both sides to learn to trust each other, but the end result has been positive, saving many lives in the process. The community ultimately learned to trust both groups. This was presented on CNN on July 5.

It is essential that mental health crisis services be combined with law enforcement. Suicides, mental health, and medical emergencies should be managed by crisis intervention and EMS. Many cases do not require law enforcement, leaving officials to prioritize other calls. There are times when crisis intervention needs police assistance, but not often. The key here is public safety. This includes law enforcement, the mental health provider, and the patient.

The answer to the above question is, No; we do not, and cannot defund and disband law enforcement. We increase funding to support these added services plus providing a new skill set for the law officers. The safety factor is the critical element supporting this concept. The need to vet new applicants for law enforcement is essential. The officer who killed George Floyd had a long history of complaints against him.

These are suggested ideas. A new dimension in law enforcement seems a better way to manage these frightful, often deadly events for everyone involved.

Bob Joseph, Jr.

New Hampton