HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-24-20 Public Comment - M. Carey - Comment for meeting on the 27th on use of force in police departmentFrom:Michele Carey
To:Agenda
Subject:Comment for meeting on the 27th on use of force in police department
Date:Friday, July 24, 2020 12:26:46 PM
Hi
As a mental health provider, I am deeply concerned about the ability of the Bozeman Police
Department (and also Park County Sheriff's department) to respond to people in a mentalhealth crisis. When the police respond with force or threat of force to a suicidal or otherwise
agitated individual who has committed no crime but who has caused someone to have concernfor that individual's mental health and safety, the individual is likely to escalate. As the
individual is likely to feel threatened by the threat of force, they are at increased risk of actingsocially inappropriately to the police escalation of the situation. Unnecessary violence, injury,
fear of the police, and further mental health issues result.
As a state we have a goal of decreasing suicide. Approaching a suicidal or otherwise agitatedand distressed individual with disparaging comments and threat of force is horribly unkind and
unethical and worse than useless. I ask that the city divert funding from the police departmentto fully fund a mental health non-police crisis response team to respond to mental health
crises. This team should have the ability to quickly contact the police in case they are in needof police back-up. The team should not be a part of the police. There are many examples in the
US of the effectiveness of such teams.
Thank you for your consideration
Michele Carey, LCPC