Useful fact: There are no lunatics on the Paris Métro. Pickpockets, yes; petty criminals--loads. (Watch your wallet at all times!) But there are no terrifying lunatics. I've never once seen an unhinged head case with a history of violence going into a rage, screaming obscenities and threats, and terrorizing other passengers. What does France do with its lunatics? Surely it has them. But they are not on the subways.
Presumably the French authorities institutionalize the mentally ill instead of letting them live on the street. But in America, the idea took hold that doing that was a civil rights violation—another gift to posterity from that low, dishonest decade, the Sixties. Admittedly, mental hospitals back then were not pleasant places, but instead of reforming them the mentally ill were set at large. As you may know Claire, in the US it’s very difficult to get someone like Neely involuntarily committed. Compounding the problem in NYC is the damaged done to the NYPD by the defund-the-police mob. What once was this country’s finest police department is now in a crisis: low morale, recruitment problems, a rising wave of retirements and resignations, a marked reluctance to engage in proactive policing.
Since writing this article I’ve learned that Neely was released from prison after his lawyer and prosecutors agreed on a plea deal over his assault on that 67-year-old woman. Neely promised to enter a rehab program, take his meds and stay off drugs. After thirteen days he absconded from the facility and that’s why there was a warrant for his arrest. It’s an absolute scandal that a man with a record like his was offered such a deal. The people who drew it up signed the guy’s death warrant.
In a just world, the people who should be prosecuted are the dullards in the District Attorney’s Office who released Neely constantly arrest after arrest. The marine who stepped up to the plate to protect the subway riders should get a medal.
I took the F train from Queens into Manhattan for years. What’s happened to the subways since the pandemic and the George Floyd riots is very disturbing. To his credit, Mayor Adams has put more cops in the subway. The problem is the same as what’s ailing policing all over the United States. Subduing seriously mentally ill people often requires violence. The police are reluctant to perform their duties for fear of a short video shot on someone’s cell phone being used out of context to suggest police misconduct. The cops would rather avert their eyes than engage in a conflict that they might later be charged for criminally.
Sadly, this is unlikely to get better any time soon. There’s plenty of blame to go around; the progressive prosecutors, activist groups and the press are all complicit.
There’s one typo, Thomas. The name of the New York Governor is Hochul not Hochel.
"Subduing seriously mentally ill people often requires violence" ... Wording I would use is "often requires physical force and restraints". A chokehold is a different sort of force than a punch in the face, thought both can cause serious damage. While it is unfortunate that the action to subdue this man resulted in his death, the ex-marine who stepped in to protect himself and fellow passengers should not be pilloried for acting as he did, and certainly does not deserve to be charged, in my opinion.
I believe American cities need more, not less, citizen involvement in keeping streets and public conveyances safe for the public. When good people look away from problems -- because getting involved risks , like getting slandered or threatened on social media, or even being charged with the "crime" of stopping a criminal act -- it gives a free pass to would-be perpetrators and contributes to fraying the fabric of society.
The elephant in the public safety room, again in my opinion, is that in many jurisdictions there are too few options available for dealing with people suffering mental health issues. Involuntary commitment poses risks, as does trying to treat mental/drug or behavioral issues when patients are not in stable housing. While politicians are called on to "do something", all too often we tax-paying citizens balk at the cost of making "something" possible.
Useful fact: There are no lunatics on the Paris Métro. Pickpockets, yes; petty criminals--loads. (Watch your wallet at all times!) But there are no terrifying lunatics. I've never once seen an unhinged head case with a history of violence going into a rage, screaming obscenities and threats, and terrorizing other passengers. What does France do with its lunatics? Surely it has them. But they are not on the subways.
Presumably the French authorities institutionalize the mentally ill instead of letting them live on the street. But in America, the idea took hold that doing that was a civil rights violation—another gift to posterity from that low, dishonest decade, the Sixties. Admittedly, mental hospitals back then were not pleasant places, but instead of reforming them the mentally ill were set at large. As you may know Claire, in the US it’s very difficult to get someone like Neely involuntarily committed. Compounding the problem in NYC is the damaged done to the NYPD by the defund-the-police mob. What once was this country’s finest police department is now in a crisis: low morale, recruitment problems, a rising wave of retirements and resignations, a marked reluctance to engage in proactive policing.
Since writing this article I’ve learned that Neely was released from prison after his lawyer and prosecutors agreed on a plea deal over his assault on that 67-year-old woman. Neely promised to enter a rehab program, take his meds and stay off drugs. After thirteen days he absconded from the facility and that’s why there was a warrant for his arrest. It’s an absolute scandal that a man with a record like his was offered such a deal. The people who drew it up signed the guy’s death warrant.
In a just world, the people who should be prosecuted are the dullards in the District Attorney’s Office who released Neely constantly arrest after arrest. The marine who stepped up to the plate to protect the subway riders should get a medal.
I took the F train from Queens into Manhattan for years. What’s happened to the subways since the pandemic and the George Floyd riots is very disturbing. To his credit, Mayor Adams has put more cops in the subway. The problem is the same as what’s ailing policing all over the United States. Subduing seriously mentally ill people often requires violence. The police are reluctant to perform their duties for fear of a short video shot on someone’s cell phone being used out of context to suggest police misconduct. The cops would rather avert their eyes than engage in a conflict that they might later be charged for criminally.
Sadly, this is unlikely to get better any time soon. There’s plenty of blame to go around; the progressive prosecutors, activist groups and the press are all complicit.
There’s one typo, Thomas. The name of the New York Governor is Hochul not Hochel.
"Subduing seriously mentally ill people often requires violence" ... Wording I would use is "often requires physical force and restraints". A chokehold is a different sort of force than a punch in the face, thought both can cause serious damage. While it is unfortunate that the action to subdue this man resulted in his death, the ex-marine who stepped in to protect himself and fellow passengers should not be pilloried for acting as he did, and certainly does not deserve to be charged, in my opinion.
I believe American cities need more, not less, citizen involvement in keeping streets and public conveyances safe for the public. When good people look away from problems -- because getting involved risks , like getting slandered or threatened on social media, or even being charged with the "crime" of stopping a criminal act -- it gives a free pass to would-be perpetrators and contributes to fraying the fabric of society.
The elephant in the public safety room, again in my opinion, is that in many jurisdictions there are too few options available for dealing with people suffering mental health issues. Involuntary commitment poses risks, as does trying to treat mental/drug or behavioral issues when patients are not in stable housing. While politicians are called on to "do something", all too often we tax-paying citizens balk at the cost of making "something" possible.