Toronto police are apprehending more people than ever before and taking them to hospital under mental health legislation, according to data obtained exclusively by the Star.
Mental Health Act apprehensions in the city have skyrocketed over the past two decades — from 520 in 1997 to 8,441 in 2013, raising questions about community services for people with mental illness.
Advocates say changes in the legislation and chronic funding problems in the mental health system are prompting increased encounters between police and people with mental illness, which can end in tragedy.
Thestar.com - In crisis: Why are police apprehending more mentally ill people?
BarbieBF
#1
I have been apprehended by the police before. I was undiagnosed, on antidepressants and extremely drunk. I was usually a happy drunk the other billion times I got drunk, but that one night I wasnt. Someone must have said something to piss me off. I am very gentlemanly until I get insulted, then I react with psychopathic behavior. I havent been insulted my anyone except my unmedicated lost cause bipolar sister in a long time. She basically insults me whenever I am around and I have grown immune to it, and shes mentally ill so she doesnt count.
But the first and last time someone insulted me for being mentally ill, oh boy. I went drill sergeant on his ass, he got silent, stood up and left without speaking.
But yeah I think the police can handle us pretty well- Crisis Intervention Team officers are the shit. I’ve come across them twice and they can smell psychosis from a mile away and reasoned with me, somehow. I respect people who serve our country so I was inclined to listen and he happened to say just the right things to me and so I was obedient and accepted that I needed to be taken to a crisis assessment center.
I dont know about regular cops, but for me they dont use regular cops, I tell them “I have paranoid schizophrenia” and theyre like “Ok stay put for a bit” and then a CIT officer is there in like 10-15 minutes and talks to me.
CIT officers are trained to deal with people like me effectively and with minimal confrontation, usually zero confrontation. They know that paranoid schizophrenics are already paranoid and dont antagonize them, they just tell them whats going to happen and thats that. They know that paranoid schizophrenics are often hypervigilant and know not to light their fuse. They handled my bipolar sister when she was manic one time and somehow reasoned with her too.
I just imagine how a completely and absolutely 100% psychotic person would react- not well, most likely. I still had some reason in my head, I knew that cops = stop what you’re doing and listen
bridgecomet
#4
Here where I live, a lot of precincts have their officers trained for a crisis like that. Does not always work—but it`s an improvement.
BakedBeans
#5
I do not trust the police. 
If you don’t feel like telling them what the problem is they shout and interrogate. 
example
csummers2
#6
I was approached by an officer at a stop sign in the middle of town around 2AM when there wasn’t a soul around. I had been working on a project at home and ran out of stickers I needed that were at my husbands shop. I stopped at the stop sign and realized I might not have grabbed enough stickers and was counting them when the officer drove by a second time and stopped.
He asked a few questions, “are you ok?” To which I answered “sure”, then asked to see my drivers license and insurance. i handed him them and he remarked with surprise that I could also drive a motorcycle.
Then he went to his car to check everything out.
When he returned, his tone changed dramatically. He insisted I needed to go to “crisis center” to talk to someone. All I said was I’d rather not" in a very calm manor. He told me if I didn’t go, he would be forced to 5150 me, and that would just cause him more paperwork, and he wouldn’t be as happy.
I calmly said I wouldn’t go voluntarily, and that was it, handcuffed and driven to crisis, I sat in a room for over 6 hours until a Dr came in and agree with two very large security guards that I was going in.
Seemed to me there was a “notice”(?) if the police were to come in contact with me to take me in…still puzzles me as to who and why? I was not a danger to myself or anyone else, and was causing no disturbances.