I came across the same story Katie discussed regarding the
26-year-old man named Robert Saylor with Down syndrome who passed away from
asphyxiation while lying face down in police custody after being escorted out of
a movie theater. This sad story brings up some important points about law
enforcement and their (often times) lack of training when it comes to those who
may have mental or physical disabilities.
Three days ago, an editorial from the Frederick News Post in
Frederick, Maryland (where the Saylor incident occurred) discussed steps Maryland
is taking to make sure these kinds of tragic events don’t happen again. The
State Senator in Maryland has introduced a bill that would increase access to
training and information resources for police agencies regarding persons with
mental health issues. There are some resources already available but the
article states that the “effort statewide is uneven at best” and this bill
would provide training and grant opportunities at a central location for all to
access. The Frederick County Sheriff mentioned that his office currently
requires all employees to attend a four-hour training session on mental health
issues (only four hours) but many
others throughout the state don’t even require this short training.
The editorial supports the bill, but also made note of the
importance of distinguishing between and including both mental illness and mental disabilities in the training.
They hope that this bill will take into account those who have genetic,
developmental or behavioral problems as well and specifically discuss the case
of Saylor. The article ends with this quote: “Police officers need to be
well-trained in dealing not only with people who suffer from schizophrenia and
other mental illnesses, but also with those who have disabilities that may put
their appearance and behavior outside the norm. If such conditions are not
already to be addressed by this new center, we urge that they be included.”
In Steven Brown’s article, What is Disability Culture, he includes a quote that starts out by
stating, “Disability can be represented as a culture, though the range of
differences among the disabled is enormous” (2). He also quotes another source
that notes the importance of, “encouraging and educating the public so society
is informed and understands disability culture” (2). I’m not sure what type of
training law enforcement officials receive or could potentially receive, but disabilities
cannot be lumped into one group. It is important for these police officers,
etc. to receive information and training on different types of disabilities and
how to respond in an appropriate way for the safety of everyone
involved.
I don't know what other states’ policies are on this type of
training, but I definitely think this bill in Maryland is a step in the right
direction. Hopefully it will pass (the editorial states it has a lot of support
and will face little opposition) and other states will follow suit. If the
officers would have had more training about how to respond to
someone with Down syndrome like Robert, it’s quite possible that an innocent life
may have been saved.
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