Discussion - A population that is unique for police to deal

As presented in this week’s Module, there are numerous special populations that law enforcement has to deal with on a regular basis.

For this week’s Discussion Board, please address the following:

A population that is unique for police to deal with are individuals with mental health issues (which may range from mild to severe). These mental health problems may cause individuals to act criminally, but they may not be fully appreciative of the consequences of their actions. Therefore, police have special discretion in how to react to a criminal or suspect that may be mentally ill. The traditional routine incident response and preventive patrol may not be the most effective or desirable approach. Therefore, special and innovative policing strategies are necessary for the management of these problems. How do you think the police should handle individuals with mental health issues?