Having a profoundly developmentally disabled child and being a participant in the justice system, this one is close to my heart. Police and courts are not the means to deal with mental health issues. Calling on them to do so is an abdication of responsibility and only exacerbates the situation. ““Isn’t the message we want to send these kids that, ‘You have value and somebody is going to come for you, somebody cares?’ ” Apparently not.
Serious occurrences involving youth in the care of the Ontario government and privately run children’s aid societies often involve a call to police.
Source: Toronto group homes turning outbursts from kids into matters for police | Toronto Star