BUFFALO, N.Y. — A group of social workers, mental health professionals and concerned community members met outside Buffalo City Hall Thursday to denounce Mayor Byron W. Brown’s proposal for a new police unit that would pair officers with social workers on mental health emergency calls.
Brown first outlined plans for a behavioral health team Aug. 22.
On Monday – two days after a Buffalo Police officer shot and wounded a homeless man who has a history of mental illness – Brown announced the new team would begin next month.
A group of social workers, mental health professionals and members of Agents of Change penned a letter in opposition to that plan, which was sent to the mayor and Common Council members Thursday.
“While embedding social workers into police departments or having social workers accompany police on mental health calls may appeal to the general public, it is ineffective, unsafe and unproven to reduce police violence in mental health crisis situations,” said Nicolalita Rodriguez, a clinical social worker, during a news conference on the steps of City Hall.
Some social workers denounce plan to pair with NY police for mental crisis calls
Who is actually surprised that Social Workers and Crazy Docs would say, “Not only no, but hell no!”? There is a reason they have orderlies that look like NFK Fullbacks working in mental Health institutions: Patients can get very violent and force needs to be used to restrain them sometimes.
And I am sure that the idea of cops uploading funny videos of social workers trying to control a feces-covered mental case holding a 2×4 and trying to play piñata with their skulls does not appeal to them.
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