Mentally Ill People Most Likely to be Killed by the Police: Study

• comments
• 
• 

A report from Treatment Advocacy Center in Virginia stated that those who have untreated mental illnesses are 16 times more likely to be killed by the cops compared to those who do not suffer from any mental illness.

It has been found out that those who are mentally ill are involved in about one out of four fatal police encounters. One of the many ways to lessen the possibility of a mentally ill person being killed by cops is to reduce the encounters between them.

According to John Snook, the executive director and the co-author of the article published in Treatment Advocacy Center, it is important to treat those who are suffering from mental illness properly. Instead of calling the police immediately, these people should be treated first considering the fact that they are sick.

According to him, the mental illness treatment system has been dismantled. As a result, the mental health crisis has turned into a police matter instead of a medical issue. Thus, increasing the rate of mentally ill people being a victim of a fatal police encounter.

The Huffington Post reported that jails now serve as the largest mental health facilities in the United States. This is just another proof that the mental crisis in the US is now becoming a police matter.

The number of people who have mental health issues is also increasing. Poverty is among the factors why some of the mentally unstable people are untreated. According to the January 2014 data gathered by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, one out of five homeless Americans is suffering from a serious mental health issue.

Despite the data that show that people suffering from mental health issues are also victims of this harsh world, it seems like the government still does not do anything to protect them. The mental health legislations are now to ensure the protection of the public from the mentally ill.

While some mentally ill really cause some trouble, such as mass shootings, suicide and more, majority of those who have mental health issues are not violent. This means that they can be dealt with without using any brutality or without the help of the police force. The society should try treating them first as it is what they need the most. They do not need police. Instead, they need a friend and a doctor whom they can share their thoughts with.

According to Science World Report, more or less eight million Adults in America have serious mental sickness, such as bipolar, depression and schizophrenia.