Florida deputy Jesse Hernandez screamed “shots fired,” and frantically fired his gun after an acorn fell onto the roof of his squad car, making him jump.
Much as we like to joke about it, to me this hints at the bad state of the mental and emotional care system.
For cops in particular in this case, but of course the population at large, too. A person who is armed - and in the US that can be everybody 2 years or older basically - should not be left without help to get into a situation where they can be this delusional and on edge while carrying a gun. People need help. Medical help.
Mental health treatment, for both cops and soldiers, should be mandatory. If we are going to give them the power of life and death over another human being, they should have as much support as possible.
Personally, I think all police should be required to attend a mental health session at least once a month (even more, if they choose to). What happens in that session is entirely down to them. Hell, set up some games consoles, a TV and a small library. If they want to turn up and just read a book for an hour, that’s fine! However, they should be required to be in the room, with a trained professional.
This would go a long way towards helping them. They can vent off, get some constructive tips, chill out, or fully engage. All would help. It also helps nip things like PTSD in the bud. Shooting a teen, because they drew a gun on you, and watching them die, is still watching a teen die by your hand.
In a perfect world, it would be a good exit path for retiring officers. Train them up, and they also know what it’s like to be in their shoes.
Much as we like to joke about it, to me this hints at the bad state of the mental and emotional care system.
For cops in particular in this case, but of course the population at large, too. A person who is armed - and in the US that can be everybody 2 years or older basically - should not be left without help to get into a situation where they can be this delusional and on edge while carrying a gun. People need help. Medical help.
Mental health treatment, for both cops and soldiers, should be mandatory. If we are going to give them the power of life and death over another human being, they should have as much support as possible.
Personally, I think all police should be required to attend a mental health session at least once a month (even more, if they choose to). What happens in that session is entirely down to them. Hell, set up some games consoles, a TV and a small library. If they want to turn up and just read a book for an hour, that’s fine! However, they should be required to be in the room, with a trained professional.
This would go a long way towards helping them. They can vent off, get some constructive tips, chill out, or fully engage. All would help. It also helps nip things like PTSD in the bud. Shooting a teen, because they drew a gun on you, and watching them die, is still watching a teen die by your hand.
In a perfect world, it would be a good exit path for retiring officers. Train them up, and they also know what it’s like to be in their shoes.
Mental health treatment should be free.
FTFY