This footage is a good impetus to talk about whether it was a good idea to turn over to police dealing with the mentally disturbed. The “guys in white coats” who were humorously pictured with butterfly nets haven’t existed for 50 years.
In our society, police get to deal with those out of touch with reality, those hallucinating because they are disturbed or “on” some drug. I believe you can be certain it isn’t popular duty.
I’m sure the cops would be the first to tell you they aren’t especially good at it. To be good they’d need a paramedic in every second or third police cruiser, and that isn’t going to happen.
With the advent of psychoactive meds for psychosis, our society opted to turn its back on the mentally disturbed and the ‘chemically’ disturbed. Our behavior, if not our words, sent the message “If we ignore it, it will go away.” Needless to say, it didn’t, it won’t.
Perhaps some city or state will come up with a more rational approach?
