U.S. Sen. Chris Coons is hearing a similar refrain from both law enforcement and education professionals: They’re seeking more resources and expertise to better interact with those facing mental health challenges. “They are both very different fields, and I’m not trying to compare them, but teachers and police officers say, ‘You know, I went to school to teach or went to the academy, and you’re expecting me to also deal with hunger, mental health challenges, social dysfunction, culture,’” the Democratic senator said recently. And so on April 5, Sen. Coons and seven other lawmakers introduced the bipartisan Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act of 2022 to support police personnel in their responses to people suffering from mental health and in need of help.
- Does this include supporting teachers with the behavior issues plaguing our schools? — Kellie O’Neill Michaud
- How about addressing the issues of how many mentally ill people are in our state and our society running amok, and addressing the many quality-of-life issues such as homelessness, drug addiction and trafficking, prostitution, people panhandling everywhere and approaching the public begging for money, etc.? And getting rid of the liberal, criminal-loving AG, the judges and politicians and actually let our police do their jobs and stop tying their hands and stop the frivolous lawsuits, etc.? Enforce the laws! — Becky West
- Democrats literally demonize law enforcement. Stop doing that, you dim bulbs. — Ryan Fenimore
- How is providing more resources to law enforcement demonizing them? Did you even read the article? — Michael McGaughey
- Democrats do not demonize law enforcement. Democrats want law enforcement to be as accountable to their actions as elected people, CEOs and normal people. — Jody Sweeney
