Posted: Friday, March 30, 2007 12:00 am
Mental health professionals and community members testified in Albany Thursday evening on a bill to create a database that would give police information about mentally ill people they come in contact with.
A public hearing was held at Albany City Hall during a special meeting of the House Committee on Human Services and Women's Wellness.
Reps. Andy Olson, R-Albany, and Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, are the two main sponsors of House Bill 3524.
The bill would create a mental health database within the Law Enforcement Data System. Those who choose to be included in the system would give written consent that would be witnessed by a physician or licensed psychologist. Consent would be revocable.
Information about the person would include name, birth date, last known address, physical description, description of illness, medications, safety alert for police if needed, and a contact person.
Olson, a former Oregon State Police trooper, explained that the bill would allow police and deputies to know when a person needs help rather than be taken to jail.
Fourteen people spoke at the meeting. Some were in favor of the bill. Most were opposed or neutral.
Some of the concerns presented:
• More than just physicians and licensed psychologists should be able to help people get into the system.
• Police need more training in dealing with the mentally ill.
• There would be a limited number of people who would qualify for the system.
• People with mental illness would be singled out.
• There were questions as to how a person would get out of the system.
Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller, who has been with the sheriff's office for 23 years, said the county jail didn't use to be the first place to take people with mental illnesses, but over the years that has changed.
In 2006, 14 inmates at the county jail were committed elsewhere because of mental health issues. Since January of this year, 26 inmates have been committed. Jail staff are also seeing mentally ill people that they haven't seen before.
"We definitely have a problem in Linn County," the sheriff said. "We need a vehicle in place where jail is not the first option."
Chris Hoy, the Marion County jail commander, said law enforcement officers have become first-responders for mental illness crises.
When people with mental illness are brought into the jail on misdemeanor charges of criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, they may be taken advantage of by other inmates, he said. The Marion County jail spends $20,000 each month on medications for mentally ill inmates.
Hoy, who said he had no position on the bill, added that to continue on the same path would be "unconscionable and inhumane."
By Carrie Petersen, Albany Democrat-Herald. She can be reached at carrie.petersen@lee.net.