Portland police and excessive force

[MJS]

What, you actually get them to respond? Most of the time with ours, we get a phone consultation, maybe they even talk to the subject (if possible), and either "bring them in if they'll come voluntarily" or "we'll follow up later." Once in a while they actually come out...

Then, when we do get someone up there, often it's like pulling teeth getting them to actually make a decision or call. If they do decide someone needs to be hospitalized -- it can take hours to get them a bed. And we can be tied up with them until they do so...

LOL, yeah, its like pulling teeth for us as well. Some of the time, it takes them an eternity for them to assemble a crew, and the other times, when for whatever reason, they can't seem to assemble anyone, they tell the cops to just call an ambulance for transport, bring them to the hospital, and then the crisis team will meet them there. However, somewhere between their office and the hospital, they seem to get lost, and never show up, which in turn leaves the cop to do their dirty work.

A while back, the state was going to eliminate them, in an effort to save $$. Unfortunately, that never happened. Yes, I know, I sound like a cold hearted person, saying that someone should lose their job. Well, IMO, if you're not doing your job in the first place.....

 

[shesulsa]

Could someone please explain to me what the harm in a community-based partnership training... extra training... is exactly?

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[Tgace]

Nothing. But, those of us who have been in LE long enough will know where Im coming from when I say that "training" has become more about limiting liability for the dept./jurisdiction than it is about fomenting change. Have a complex problem with no easy solutions? Throw some "training" at it. So if it happens again the dept. can say "its on the cop...he was trained....".

Anyway...were we not talking about implementing a whole second 911 type system/response to mental health issues?

 

[jks9199]

Could someone please explain to me what the harm in a community-based partnership training... extra training... is exactly?

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The bluntest problem is time. Where are we supposed to find the time to add that? Then there's the diffusion of resources. As MJS noted, a secondary call center slows response, adds a layer between the actual responder and often leads to miscommunication. It also leads to confusion; is this a mental case, a disorderly person, a whatever... so what do we do? A patrol officer must be a jack of all trades -- and the more you throw into that mix, the less skilled he can be at any of them.