Tragic Gap in Police Skill With Mentally Ill

I am an advocate for the rights of children and father of two developmentally disabled children, one with autism, the other with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. There’s an urgent need for both public awareness and legislation for training our police and fire departments, emergency agencies and educational employees to recognize and properly handle the behavior of the developmentally disabled and mentally ill.

This year, police in California responded to at least two cases involving developmentally disabled or mentally ill people that resulted in death. The officers weren’t properly trained to distinguish between criminal behavior and the behavior of mentally ill individuals. The officers incorrectly assumed the people were displaying threatening or non-compliant behavior. And this problem is not just statewide, it’s national, and it’s growing.

One case was in San Diego, on Feb. 8, involving William Anthony Miller, 42. Apparently Miller, a longtime homeless San Diegan, was hitting pedestrians with a tree branch. When officers arrived on the scene they ordered Miller to drop the branch. Miller, who suffers from mental illness, did not comply and instead charged at officers with the tree branch. Three of the five officers opened fire on Miller, killing him instantly. He easily could have been subdued by a net.

A different scenario played out on Feb. 26 in Orange County. Rose V. Failla, 52, a resident of Fullerton who family members said has a history of mental illness, allegedly stole an ambulance in Anaheim and plowed into a car, killing two people.

Originally, concerned neighbors noticed Failla wandering around their backyard and called authorities. Police responded and, based on their limited training and background, incorrectly determined that Failla was not eligible to be admitted for a 72-hour observation by a qualified health professional in a mental health facility. She later admitted herself into Anaheim Memorial Medical Center for treatment. Before doctors could get to her, she ran outside the hospital and drove off in an unattended ambulance with the keys inside.

Although the liability here does not belong to the Orange Police Department, this situation clearly shows that the police’s determination of who is a threat to themselves and others was way off the mark. Simply put: They need special training and they need it now.

Currently, there is no continuous education and training for emergency personnel and agencies to identify certain behavior and handle these situations accordingly.

Several pending Assembly bills address the issue of training programs.

Since 1999, there have been efforts in researching, raising public awareness and seeking legislation, at a grass-roots level. Until now, with the exception of the Orange County Police Chiefs Assn., these agencies have remained relatively silent on this issue. Until annual forums are created where parents, children and professionals can be heard, there will be a continuing gap between community policing and citizens, and unfortunately more unnecessary deaths.