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Theresa Bass
From:Theresa Bass
Sent:Saturday, January 7, 2023 10:57 PM
To:Public Comment
Subject:FW: \[EXTERNAL\] Tragic Gap in Police Skill With Mentally Ill
From: DURFEY DURFEY <
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Subject: \[EXTERNAL\] Tragic Gap in Police Skill With Mentally Ill
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Tragic Gap in Police Skill With Mentally Ill
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jul-02-me-47127-story.html
Safety: Two recent cases show that more informed responses could have prevented unnecessary deaths.
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Tragic Gap in Police Skill With Mentally Ill
BY CRAIG A. DURFEY
JULY 2, 2000 12 AM PT
CRAIG A. DURFEY WRITES FROM GARDEN GROVE
I am an advocate for the rights of children and father of two developmentally disabled children, one
with autism, the other with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. There’s an urgent
need for both public awareness and legislation for training our police and fire departments,
emergency agencies and educational employees to recognize and properly handle the behavior of
the developmentally disabled and mentally ill.
This year, police in California responded to at least two cases involving developmentally disabled
or mentally ill people that resulted in death. The officers weren’t properly trained to distinguish
between criminal behavior and the behavior of mentally ill individuals. The officers incorrectly
assumed the people were displaying threatening or non-compliant behavior. And this problem is
not just statewide, it’s national, and it’s growing.
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One case was in San Diego, on Feb. 8, involving William Anthony Miller, 42. Apparently Miller, a
longtime homeless San Diegan, was hitting pedestrians with a tree branch. When officers arrived
on the scene they ordered Miller to drop the branch. Miller, who suffers from mental illness, did not
comply and instead charged at officers with the tree branch. Three of the five officers opened fire
on Miller, killing him instantly. He easily could have been subdued by a net.
A different scenario played out on Feb. 26 in Orange County. Rose V. Failla, 52, a resident
of Fullerton who family members said has a history of mental illness, allegedly stole an
ambulance in Anaheim and plowed into a car, killing two people.
Originally, concerned neighbors noticed Failla wandering around their backyard and
called authorities. Police responded and, based on their limited training and background,
incorrectly determined that Failla was not eligible to be admitted for a 72-hour
observation by a qualified health professional in a mental health facility. She later
admitted herself into Anaheim Memorial Medical Center for treatment. Before doctors
could get to her, she ran outside the hospital and drove off in an unattended ambulance
with the keys inside.
Although the liability here does not belong to the Orange Police Department, this situation
clearly shows that the police’s determination of who is a threat to themselves and others
was way off the mark. Simply put: They need special training and they need it now.
Currently, there is no continuous education and training for emergency personnel and
agencies to identify certain behavior and handle these situations accordingly.
Several pending Assembly bills address the issue of training programs.
Since 1999, there have been efforts in researching, raising public awareness and seeking
legislation, at a grass-roots level. Until now, with the exception of the Orange County
Police Chiefs Assn., these agencies have remained relatively silent on this issue. Until
annual forums are created where parents, children and professionals can be heard, there
will be a continuing gap between community policing and citizens, and unfortunately more
unnecessary deaths.
Tragic Gap in Police Skill With Mentally Ill - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)
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