Management of the severely mentally ill and its effects on homeland security
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Authors
Biasotti, Michael C.
Subjects
law enforcement
severe mental illness
homeland security
law enforcement resources
assisted out-patient treatment
homeless population
prison overcrowding
New Windsor Police Department
severe mental illness
homeland security
law enforcement resources
assisted out-patient treatment
homeless population
prison overcrowding
New Windsor Police Department
Advisors
Brannan, David
Miller, Patrick
Date of Issue
2011-09
Date
September 2011
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
As a result of the events of September 11, 2001, law enforcement agencies nationwide have been assigned a plethora of terrorism prevention and recovery related duties. Many federal documents outline and emphasize duties and responsibilities pertaining to local law enforcement. The prevention of acts of terrorism within communities has become a focal point of patrol activities for state and local police agencies. Simultaneously, local law enforcement is dealing with the unintended consequences of a policy change that in effect removed the daily care of our nation's severely mentally ill population from the medical community and placed it with the criminal justice system. This policy change has caused a spike in the frequency of arrests of severely mentally ill persons, prison and jail population and the homeless population. A nationwide survey of 2,406 senior law enforcement officials conducted within this paper indicates that the deinstitutionalization of the severely mentally ill population has become a major consumer of law enforcement resources nationwide. This paper argues that highly cost-effective policy recommendations exist that would assist in correcting the current situation, which is needlessly draining law enforcement resources nationwide, thereby allowing sorely needed resources to be directed toward this nation's homeland security concerns.
Type
Thesis
Description
CHDS State/Local
Includes supplementary material
Includes supplementary material
Series/Report No
Department
National Security Affairs (NSA)
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
xvi, 137 p. : col. ill. ;
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
Copyright is reserved by the copyright owner.