Since moving to the Vancouver area, I have been dismayed at the lack of respect and positive people skills of a few of the Vancouver police. I have called several times for help with neighbors with mental illness, only to be informed they have no training in this area when most cities have training in mental health; any research will show you this. I am aware of this because I have worked in social work for 20 years and have worked in other cities.
The Seattle Times reports that money has been approved for mental health training for Washington state. I encourage our local police department to have all the training they can, as it’s often folks who have mental health issues who commit crimes. A person who is psychologically stable for the most part does not commit a crime.
For several reasons, I have had communication with local officers and I am disgusted at how I have been treated on three separate occasions. I would love to write more but there is a word limit here. I moved from an area where I worked with the police and was treated with high regard — not so much here.
