Thread by @PaulVanderKlay

The whole "social workers instead of cops" idea is hilarious to me. I've lived and worked in inner city communities all my life and I think a lot of people who write these things have near zero experience with households that call the police regularly.

A bit ago I had a homeless guy who was dehydrated, wanted to get into a psych ward, couldn't keep food down. Asked me to call 911 for him. I did. They were going to send the paramedics/fire dept. They ask me "is he violent?"... "sometimes".

"Does he carry a knife or a gun". "He's a homeless guy. He always has a knife." OK, we'll have to have the police come too..." (Safety). So 4 burly fire fighters sit by the curb waiting to treat this homeless guy for two cops to show up so they can watch them treat him.

A LOT of police calls are domestic issues. A social worker might be of help there, but they're going to have to send the cops too. People usually call the cops because they fear violence will break out.

It's often a woman or an elderly mother or grandmother in fear of one of their kids. A social worker might help, but they're still going to send the cops too.

Then you've got the back-end problem. Often arresting the person isn't what they need. Do you do a 51/50 and send them to a psych ward? Do you have a bed open? Who pays?

Sending a social worker instead of a cop will likely mean the social worker calls the cops and it doesn't even address what someone expects this social worker to accomplish. Talking people out of the conflict?

People call their pastor before they call the police. I'll listen to what's happening. If it's turning violent or I know it will because they've been there lots of times before, I tell them to call the police.

There's sort of a "let them eat cake" quality to the "have them not call the cops" thing. If you are elderly and had your mentally ill child or grandchild breaking in and they've been violent before, you call the cops.

It's also ironic that the "social workers instead of cop" side of the aisle is also the gun control side of the aisle. I don't own guns. When people get scared, buy a gun because they don't call cops, even worse things happen.

Then people say, "well they should get counseling." I agree 100%. How much time do you spend with people "who should get counseling" and don't? I spend lots of time with them (because they're trying to use me instead of a counselor).

Why aren't they "getting counseling"? Let me count the ways. 1. They saw one once and "it didn't work". 2. they want a pill 3. Insurance only pays for X visits, if at all and they don't have the money to pay themselves

4. "they don't need it". 5. They'll go but their kid won't. 6. Their kid has been in and out of the psych ward 4 times this year already and nothing has changed... I've got very little hope for these tidy solutions.

What's even more funny. Call a therapist's number. Any therapist. Before you can even leave a message they will say "if you are in danger call 911 or in crisis call 911". Therapists work in their tidy offices. Therapists will quit on you if it gets too uncomfortable often.

I did a conversation with this woman who told me her story. . worked in a place in the 80s that was trying to mainstream people who before would have been institutionalized.

I'm sure there was plenty of abuse that happened in locked psych wards, nurses and orderlies with too much power and not enough accountability, so get rid of them and hire college kids. What could go wrong?

Mental illness, substance abuse, poverty, it all accumulates and concentrates in communities we all know about. These are difficult difficult problems. We've learned a lot in the last 30 years but still really can't solve it.

Talk to the people that are in it every day. No silver bullets. Lots of room for improvement. Caring, patience, longsuffering are almost always needed. I have little faith in political solutions.

Cops get killed all the time in the line of duty. What happens when the first social worker gets killed in this line of duty. Guess what happens? Lawsuits and more cops.