NYC Mayor Adams’ Controversial New Policy On Mental Illness

New York City mayor Eric Adams announced a controversial new plan last week to address what he calls a mental health "crisis" in the city. The directive instructs police and first responders to remove people displaying severe symptoms of mental illness from the city's subways and streets and take them to area hospitals even if against their will. But using police intervention for mental health emergencies among people experiencing homelessness has the potential to cause more harm than good. Critics of the plan argue that the police force is not equipped to effectively deal with mental health crises without the risk of violent escalation. Amy Watson, a professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin and Sonia Pruitt, a retired police captain for the Montgomery County, MD police department discuss the mayor’s plan and the potential challenges.