The guest speaker at September’s North Precinct Advisory Council was Liz Eddy, head of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). In addition to responding to many crises, her team has given special training on handling the mentally ill to fully a third of Seattle’s patrol officers.
When crimes are motivated by mental health issues, such as acting on a voice in one’s head, it is often better to treat the illness rather than go through the criminal court system. Seattle has a Mental Health Court where offenders with mental health issues can be routed for misdemeanors. If they successfully finish a two year treatment program, they avoid getting a criminal record. However, in our society people have a right to be ill and not get treated – think of the decision to not get chemo therapy, for instance.
Police also have limitations on how they can help when they get calls concerning ‘abnormal’ behavior. Our society values freedom, including freedom to be strange. Officers can only respond to calls when there is ‘imminence’, meaning someone is becoming violent.
If you encounter a stranger in the neighborhood who is acting bizarre, it is often best to just leave them alone. If he is doing something that may endanger him or others, call 911 but don’t try to help unless you can do it from a distance, such as warning him as he careens into a busy street.
If you have mental health concerns in the neighborhood, Liz Eddy invites you to call her at 206-684-8183.
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