Free Essay Comprising Video Summary and Reaction

Summary

The video Meet Police Offers Trained to Respond to Mental Illness Calls by ABS News (2015) narrates the story of two specialists in the San Antonio police department who are trained to handle cases of individuals who are mentally ill. The video begins by describing the story of 38-year-old Harrison who was shot five times on the back by police officers contrary to what his mother expected. The mother called the police to take the son to Parkland to receive help, but the police killed the victim on the grounds of self-defense. The family is accusing the police officers and the police department of failing to handle the situation as expected. The two specialists narrate that the lack of proper training is the sole reason why residents of San Antonio fail to call the police in cases that involve mentally ill individuals (ABS News, 2015). In the video, specialists are recorded conducting an incredible job and managed to save two victims contemplating to commit suicide. Their new intervention strategy saves lives and money for the city of San Antonio.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Personal Reaction to the Video

Firstly, the video is disturbing to the viewer because police are recorded with a body cam shooting and killing an innocent victim whose situation could have been handled in a manner that could have resulted in less bloodshed. The murder of Harrison is an indication that the police department lacks to equip and train recruits with crisis intervention training that is necessary to handle individuals who suffer from mental illnesses. According to the video, Harrison is one of the many individuals who has met death in the hands of the police contrary to what is expected. The tactics used by the police to handle such individual's questions the training that they undergo and whether enough funding is being provided to cater for crisis intervention training. The cases of lost lives mentioned in the video indicate that the police department has a negative attitude toward mentally ill individuals, and the officers are trained to react forcefully.

The training of the police is similar to that in the military boot camps where there are so much shouting and commands. For instance, the cops who killed Harrison raised their voices and commanded the victim to drop down the screwdriver. If the police were receiving training on crisis intervention management, that is not the approach they could have used in the case of Harrison. Instead, the officers should have approached in a friendly manner to build trust with the victim, and convince him to drop the weapon; and, if the victim refused, they should have used a teaser instead of a gun to immobilize the individual. Besides, it is disappointing that the police department can afford to fund the police with high military equipment's such as specialized guns, vehicles, and body cams, yet they cannot sponsor a beneficial training program that will help save lives and money for the various cities.

The video elicits feelings of anger and disappointment knowing that the police should have acted in a responsible manner that could have saved the lives of Harrison and many other victims. The video elicits the negative attitude among police officers and the ignorance in the department for failing to train recruits with unique skills for handling mentally ill individuals. The society now alienates itself from the police by not calling for help when faced with issues that involve mentally sick individuals.

References

ABS News. (2015). Meet police offers trained to respond to mental illness calls [Video File] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sggp-mpXL4c