GUEST COMENTARY Dave Smith Hearing Voices. Oct. 25, 2023, a mentally ill subject entered a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, and opened fire with a Ruger semi-automatic .308 rifle; he then drove to a nearby bar and opened fire again. That is the sterile description of the horror that occurred that night. First responders spent the next two days searching the area with a seriously high pucker factor since the shooter was a military trained firearms instructor who had been institutionalized the previous summer after confessing at a training exercise that he had heard voices telling him to shoot up a military facility. Then, in September, a Sheriff’s Sergeant was dispatched to contact the obviously mentally ill fellow because some were concerned that “the reservist was going to snap and commit a mass shooting.” Wow, just wow. What the heck is going on? Eighteen people murdered, 13 others wounded, in a highly politicized tragedy. “Gun Control!” was the almost immediate and universal cry, but the deeper, more important issue is why have we failed to deal with mental illness in any effective way? Drive down any major urban street and you are not the least surprised to see a homeless person gesticulating and talking in an obvious intense debate with…nobody. At least nobody that you and I can see. Pick any newscast and a large number of stories often involve mental illness at some point. Children suffering depression, suicide, gender dysphoria, and other problems were further impacted by the efforts to control the COVID virus by forcing them into unnatural seclusion. Educators, physicians, psychologists, and counselors, seem to pander instead of treat, encourage instead of heal, and accept no other opinions on how to deal with these issues than their own, which have been ineffective. Mass shooters undergoing “transitioning” are not to be analyzed, much less their manifesto read, as in the instance of the Nashville shooting suspect. Law enforcement is constantly told, as is the general public, that the mentally ill are no more dangerous than the general population and need to be protected, not criticized, treated, or actually helped. There exists a national con job of pseudo-therapy programs, halfway houses, and other charities pretending to help the people in crisis, yet the only thing getting better is the charities’ bank accounts. I sit regularly at my county board of supervisors meeting and go over the grants and funds being expended on the variety of groups pretending to help the homeless (almost universally mentally ill and chemically dependent, illegal aliens, and the poor) and the magnitude is amazing. These programs are requiring more and more public funding with no feedback mechanism. We are caught in the futile cycle of, “spend a fortune - things get worse - ask for more of the public’s money.” And too often the mantra is, “Take funds from the police and give it to this or that social service group.” While defunding the police is no longer a credible option, too many politicians still “act” on that principle and allocate resources to the useless while denying the necessary. The police function is a basic principle of governing and is also a way to improve the lives of the common folk as well as the mentally ill. Too often, the only public servant that actually interacts effectively with the person suffering a mental crisis is the police officer. “Tough love” is not just a saying, it is an ancient wisdom that needs to be fully embraced. Forcing someone into a controlled environment is often the only way to treat many mental illnesses. Many former alcoholics and drug-addicted folks describe their arrest as the catalyst that forced them into the therapy that saved their lives. Yeppers, those nasty police actually 26 The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue
save many lives by protecting the public, enforcing laws, and truly caring about their community. Frankly, American law enforcement has been begging the rest of the system to deal with mental illness for years. Prisons are literally filled with the complete catalog of mental illnesses. New Zealand estimates 90% of its inmates suffer from some form of these illnesses, while American researchers seem to try to minimize mental health’s impact on criminality. Some studies of American institutions come close to New Zealand’s number while others find it as low as 59% but, regardless of the number, mental health is the gorilla in the room when we talk about mass shootings, criminality, homelessness, drug abuse, domestic violence, and suicide. Time for a Dutch Uncle conversation with America Blaming inanimate objects like guns for a problem caused by mental illness is an exercise in futility that solves nothing, wont work and, worse, limits the freedoms of a free people. Laws need to be enacted, enforced, and followed that include treatment and follow-up for those who suffer from this growing crisis. The time for law enforcement leaders to stand silent is over. Demand action, demand solutions, demand safe streets, demand tools and training, and lead this country to safety. Dave Smith is an internationally recognized law enforcement trainer and is the creator of “JD Buck Savage.” You can follow Buck on Twitter at @thebucksavage The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 27
LAW ENFORCEMENT PRODUCTS BYRNA MISS
termined that a crime that had been
in Humble TX, the County Blues was
The Humble City Cafe was the origin
e procedural television series that
l Out There! The Blues 40th Anniver
The County Blues first office was l
The Conroe Courier building in the
The Blues The 40th BLUES 40th Anniv
The Blues The 40th BLUES 40th Anniv
In the summer of 1995, I sold The B
The Blues The 40th BLUES 40th Anniv
Click to Read 2020 Issues The Blues
Click to Read 2021 Issues The Blues
Click to Read 2022 Issues The Blues
The BLUES 1 Click to Read 2023Issue
Editor-at-Large: Chief Rex Evans Se
Contributing Editor: Lt. Daryl Lott
Contributing Editor: Detective Dani
YOUR PREMIER ONLINE TACTICAL GEAR S
Under 65 Healthcare Options? We hav
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 11
HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE Tw
The Blues 40th Anniversary The BLUE
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 12
BREAKDOWN OF CONSTRUCTION STAGE STA
ALDINE ISD POLICE DEPARTMENT JOIN O
Now Hiring School District Police O
The BLUES 133 The Blues 40th Annive
FALLEN HEROES DETECTIVE JAMES MICHA
FALLEN HEROES CORRECTIONAL OFFICER
FALLEN HEROES SERGEANT MICHAEL MORA
FALLEN HEROES SERGEANT MICHAEL ABBA
to “de-fund” their police depar
me when I started. The day shift se
just needed a minute to think. I gu
front door, a man in his fifties op
come see you. Can I come in?” We
fact your wife.” “There has to
LEARN MORE ATR 528 1000W MOTOR DUAL
him I was trying to get to the syna
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 15
officers he was serving with. For o
CHICAGO COFFEE CITY, TX. - MAYOR, R
ARRON reams & Reality of a y Mounta
ARRON a hot meal. A long and cold f
ARRON those “mishaps and adventur
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 17
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 17
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 17
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 17
NO WORDS ... pardon our humor The B
POLICE SUPPLIES choose the heading
POLICE SUPPLIES GUNS/AMMO Starting
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 18
JOIN OUR TEAM! ARANSAS PASS POLICE
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 18
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 19
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 19
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 19
Welcome Colony Police Department Th
October 15 WATCH FOR NEW TEST DATES
Cuero Police Department Now Hiring
Paid academy up to ,560 Lateral
GALVESTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 20
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 20
JOIN OUR TEAM Place your department
LATERAL DEPUTY The Blues 40th Anniv
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 21
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 21
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 21
FLOYD COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE 125
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 22
Starting pay - ,889 Paid: Vacati
PLACE YOUR DEPARTMENT’S AD HERE F
Welcome Aboard Schulenburg PD The B
LEWISVILL E Benefits and Additional
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 23
,709-,685 Based on Population
MEMORIAL VILLAGES POLICE DEPARTMENT
WE’RE HIRING Join our team and re
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 24
MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY
s-2 BENEFITS: • Medical, Dental,
Welcome Aboard Rowlett Police Depar
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 24
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 25
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 25
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 25
PLACE YOUR DEPARTMENT’S AD HERE F
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 25
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Follow Us
Facebook