Frequent Flyers and Civil Commitment: Repeat Police Contacts with Mentally Ill Suspects

• In Event: Police and People with Mental Illness

Abstract

Law enforcement officers often encounter suspects with mental illness, and one result is the large mentally ill population in jails. Yet, not all such encounters result in criminal charges or a jail stay. In many jurisdictions, civil statutes authorize law enforcement officers to detain and transport persons for involuntary mental health assessment and commitment when they meet certain criteria, regardless of criminal activity. Since 2010, local law enforcement agencies in Benton County, Oregon, have experienced a sharp rise in the frequency of contacts with suspects displaying symptoms of mental illness and a corresponding rise in the use of involuntary, non-criminal detentions for mental health assessment. Anecdotal reports tell of "frequent flyers," individuals whose behavior results in repeated contacts with police but rarely reaches the threshold for criminal detention. We analyze data from Benton County to (1) document the rise in contact with mentally ill suspects, (2) identify the sub-set of frequent flyers, and (3) generate estimates of the burden these contacts place on local law enforcement agencies. The results highlight a small population of individuals who are not properly served by law enforcement or mental health agencies.

Authors

• Charles Lanfear, University of Washington

• Brett Burkhardt, Oregon State University

• Scott Akins, Oregon State University