Yesterday, by a vote of 10-1, San Francisco's Board of Superviors approved a pilot program to mandate treatment for certain people who have serious mental illness and drug addiction. Many of these people are homeless.
People would be given multiple opportunities to seek help voluntarily before court ordered conservatorship.
State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) co-authored state legislation that allows the pilot programs in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego counties. He is working on amending the legislation to expand the number of people in the program.
There has been some outcry as usual from the naysayers about civil liberties. This is a move that would actually get people off the streets and prevent them being put in jail. It would provide help and stability. I have written about Laura's Law several times, which is court mandated treatment for the mentally ill.
It is not available in Humboldt and should be. It would reduce the burden on law enforcement and actually get some people help and services. Covering courts, there are certain people that would benefit from such a program.
There is no perfect solution. Those who oppose it are not the ones caught in a cycle of being stuck in the streets or having to go to jail.
Great idea but where is the money going to come from to pay for it.
ReplyDeleteFrom DHHS, from Measure Z money being properly allocated, from bloated bureaucrat salaries, from the money saved from not using law enforcement resources and putting these people in jail only to repeat the cycle. I don't get paid a Supervisor, Senator or Governor's salary, not my job to figure it out. But,like many citizens, I have common sense and the correct priorities.
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