# Lynn, MA - unarmed crisis response team



## msw (Jul 19, 2004)

I have mixed feelings about these. If I was still working patrol, I'd probably like the fact that _someone else_ had to handle these mental health calls. OTOH..... I wonder what the statistics five years out from the creation of these unarmed teams will show for injuries to the personnel, the suspect/victim, etc. I'm sure glad I don't have to work the field any more.









Mass. town to allocate $500K for unarmed crisis-response team


City officials estimated that the team could take 13% of emergency calls




www.police1.com


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## Sooty (Nov 1, 2018)

I read that... what keeps rolling in the back of my mind is that these people REALLY have no idea even how police interactions with the mentally ill happen!
THEY'RE CALLED TO THEM!

What exactly is an unarmed social worker going to do with an EDP who grabs a knife? A bat? Or other weapon?

And how is it that all these rainbow and sunshine people think police don't have deescalation skills?
And that social workers are going to be better because they're unarmed?

As an added thought... when one of them is eviscerated by the person they're there to save do we say "well ya know, that's what they signed up for when they took that job!"
🙄

Effing idiots.


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## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

_“Police approach [people] threatening to control and subdue,” said the Rev. Bernadette Hickman-Maynard, president of the Essex County Community Organization and one of the RJC leaders. But “these people are going to have *de-escalation skills*, and also extensive *training in racial and cultural sensitivity.*”_

The poor mis-informed reverend must not have heard of Academy and Annual In-service training topics above LOL!!!!!!!!


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## trueblue (Jan 21, 2008)

Just wait and see how this will “morph into something else“
I’ll try to condense the way it’s going to go. Feel free to add steps I may have missed🙄

1-First they’ll want police radios so they can call the police just in case the situation turns to s**t.
2-Then they’ll want ballistic armor, ( ”some extra old ones in the station) just in case the EDP gets violent. 
3-Then they’ll want some OC just in case so they can control the violent types.
4-Then they’ll want tasers just in case the OC doesn’t work. 
5-Then they’ll want a uniform and a marked vehicle so they look official just in case the nosy civilians question their authority. 
6-Then they’ll want a firearm just in case the EDP pulls a weapon on them and they need to defend themselves. 
7-Then they’ll want access to union attorney just in case they get sued for doing their job.
8-Then they’ll want their due process because they were only “doing their job” when they had to shoot the EDP who was attacking them, just in case they may be sent to prison.
9-Finally, they’ll want to know who came up with this crazy idea to deal with the mentally ill, just in case they want to sue them.

(To all social workers: Just in case you were interested, The civil service test is given every few years.)

Just my take on yet another stupid liberal idea.


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## Sooty (Nov 1, 2018)

I think they'll go in there thinking "I'll show those racist cops how it should be handled"
Then blame the police for:
A not backing them up, and 
B not responding fast enough while they're bleeding out. 

I sure hope for their own good, they make them go through SOME kind of defensive tactics training!


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## HistoryHound (Aug 30, 2008)

This isn't going to end well. Beyond the points you guys have already raised there will be a high level of burnout and turnover. So they're going to end up with a revolving door of young, idealistic kids just out of college. It won't take long for these kids to realize that they can make a lot more money without putting themselves in harms way.


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## USAF286 (May 20, 2011)

EDPs don’t show any respect or acknowledgment to us in uniform, armed and usually at least 2 officers...what are they going to do with some bozo with a clipboard and “gender confusion IPOC basket weaving white is evil liberal arts” bullshit degree? 

We will get called there and clean up the mess.


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## patrol22 (Oct 31, 2015)

I know I’ll be in the minority here but I don’t think this is a _terrible_ idea albeit I don’t know all the particulars of Lynn’s plan.

My dept has civilian mental health counselors who ride with us. Honestly I’d say they are far more effective than we are at helping people/eliminating problems for the PD. They are able to section people fairly easily so it solves the issues of the EDP who refuses help and is a habitual problem.

With that said - they ride with us so it’s not the same as what’s being proposed here but I think that many of the calls we deal with could be passed off without issue. How many times do we get sent to go check on some bum begging in the road. Probably every day several times a day. If someone else could deal with and get rid of the issue I’m all for it. Most of us on patrol just don’t have the time to really fix any of these kind of issues, it’s pretty much just kicking the can down the road


For me this has nothing to do with all the blah, blah blah, racism and social justice crap but more to do with getting out of a business we could use a little help in. If it makes my job easier I’m all for it 

Should they be handling domestics or Q5 calls? No, at least not alone. I know we all hate change but sometimes it is due.


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## Sooty (Nov 1, 2018)

patrol22 said:


> I know I’ll be in the minority here but I don’t think this is a _terrible_ idea albeit I don’t know all the particulars of Lynn’s plan.
> 
> My dept has civilian mental health counselors who ride with us. Honestly I’d say they are far more effective than we are at helping people/eliminating problems for the PD. They are able to section people fairly easily so it solves the issues of the EDP who refuses help and is a habitual problem.


That's just it - they ride WITH you. 
They can do the Sect 12 - but who's going hands on to get them into the ambulance?

And what sho you do when the ill person grabs them and pulls out a blade?

Are they going to be able to deescalate while in peril or do you employ just (lethal) force?


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## HistoryHound (Aug 30, 2008)

Sooty said:


> That's just it - they ride WITH you.
> They can do the Sect 12 - but who's going hands on to get them into the ambulance?
> 
> And what sho you do when the ill person grabs them and pulls out a blade?
> ...


One thing I can say with 100% certainty, my daughter has her LMHC and this is one job I wouldn't want her to take. It's bad enough when she gets assaulted by her students. She's already been sent to the hospital with a concusion after one of them started throwing things in a fit. Her husband who is trained to do restraints has been spit on, punched, kicked, etc. I can only imagine how bad it's going to be for the kids that take this job.


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## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

Sooty said:


> That's just it - they ride WITH you.
> They can do the Sect 12 - but who's going hands on to get them into the ambulance?
> 
> And what sho you do when the ill person grabs them and pulls out a blade?
> ...


jesus Sooty.....those are just details! whats important is that social justice is srved


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## MiamiVice (May 2, 2002)

Or do what Boston just did. New SOP on section 12's, seek voluntary compliance, no handcuffs, no force. If they refuse to go.......... wait for it.......... disengage (leave) and try again later. 

Sent from my SM-G986U1 using Tapatalk


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