NYC to Allow Police Officers to Involuntarily Commit People During Mental Health Crises

11/29/2022

The Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, announced earlier today that he has given first responders, including police officers and fire fighters, the authority to *involuntarily commit* people suffering from mental health crises.

Mental health advocates worry that this law will target NYC’s unhoused population and, given the fact that police officers are not social workers, it has the potential create unsafe situations where they might not have otherwise existed. Meanwhile, many legal experts have voiced that the law infringes on the rights of those in crisis.

Mayor Adams stated that police officers would receive additional training, and that there would be a team of mental health professionals available via a “hotline” to help officers determine if a person is having a mental health crisis.

Mayor Adams hopes this initiative will deter violent crimes.

What do you think? Should police have this authority? Will it deter violent crimes or increase the likelihood of police brutality?

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