New York state lawmakers, psychological well being care consultants and felony justice advocates gathered Wednesday in Albany to push for the passage of a measure named in honor of a person who died whereas in custody of the Rochester Police Division.
The proposal would create state and regional psychological well being items that will deal with psychological well being crises as a substitute of police. Models would include psychological well being employees, friends and EMTs.
The laws is called in honor of Daniel Prude, who died whereas within the custody of the Rochester Police Division. Officers responded as Prude was experiencing a psychological well being disaster.
“It could fully the change the disaster response system that we’ve got as we speak, and finally what would occur is after we do have psychological well being professionals present as much as to those crises, is that individuals are going to have their lives saved,” mentioned Democratic state Sen. Samra Brouk, a sponsor of the laws.
The invoice is being thought-about amid a broader name within the wake of the pandemic for an even bigger deal with psychological well being care. Gov. Kathy Hochul this yr has proposed billions of {dollars} to broaden psychological well being care applications in addition to housing for people who find themselves liable to homelessness.
“Extra individuals are speaking about psychological well being now and we’re seeing extra assets put right into a system that has been fully left crippled,” Brouk mentioned.
Through the incident on March 23, 2020, a number of law enforcement officials restrained Prude. He was bare on the bottom and police positioned a spit hood over his head.
Prude misplaced consciousness in the course of the restraint. He was taken to the hospital and positioned on life assist. He died on March 30.
An post-mortem reported Prude had the drug angel mud in his system.
The health worker dominated his dying a murder brought on by asphyxia. Following an investigation into the incident, the officers concerned didn’t face any prices.
“They positioned a spit hood over his head,” mentioned Rochester Democratic Assemblyman Harry Bronson. “There was no compassion, no humanity, when he was held down by law enforcement officials.”
Creating psychological well being groups may result in extra peaceable outcomes for these battling psychological well being.
“Daniel’s Regulation groups will have the ability to de-escalate the disaster state of affairs proper there on the road after which we’d have the ability to join folks with acceptable companies within the communiity,” mentioned Luke Sikinyi, the coverage director of the New York Affiliation of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Providers.
Opponents of the invoice have introduced up issues over the protection of responders with out legislation enforcement current.
Republican state Senator Pat Gallivan, a former legislation enforcement officer, is skeptical of eradicating police fully from such conditions.
“Oftentimes, we’ve got conditions when somebody has a psychological well being concern, it entails somebody who’s agitated, somebody with a weapon, somebody who could also be strolling down the center of the road who poses a hazard to public security, a hazard to the general public,” he mentioned.
However Gallivan acknowledges police want extra psychological well being care coaching.
“That doesn’t imply although that we shouldn’t do a greater job of coaching our legislation enforcement officers to acknowledge people who find themselves having psychological well being points and appropriately cope with that particular person,” he mentioned.
