On November 28, 2022, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that he would be involuntarily hospitalizing the mentally ill if their behaviors caused self-harm.
Mayor Adams said in a speech, "I want to talk to you about a crisis we see all around us: People with severe and untreated mental illness who live out in the open, on the streets, in our subways — in danger and in need. We see them every day, and our city workers are familiar with their stories: The man standing all day on the street across from the building he was evicted from 25 years ago, waiting to be let in. The shadow boxer on the street corner in Midtown, mumbling to himself as he jabs at an invisible adversary. These New Yorkers and hundreds of others like them are in urgent need of treatment, yet often refuse it when offered."
Police, and other city workers, are going to receive special training to have the ability to proceed with detaining the mentally ill.
Politico gives the perspective of Democratic City Council Member Diana Ayala, who says, "I don’t know that picking folks up and dragging them to the ER is even legal."
The New York Civil Liberties Union executive director, Donna Lieberman, talks about how "The federal and state constitutions impose strict limits on the government’s ability to detain people experiencing mental illness — limits that the Mayor’s proposed expansion is likely to violate."
NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said, "This is a longstanding and very complex issue. And we will continue to work closely with our many partners to ensure that everyone has access to the services they require. This deserves the full support and attention of our collective efforts."
While it is clear that many disagree with the mayor's actions to emphatically put those with mental illnesses in hospitals, many also agree with the choices to ensure the mentally ill are safe and receiving treatment.
We await further news.
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