NYC To Involuntarily Commit Mentally Ill Homeless

The New York Times reports:

Mayor Eric Adams announced a major effort on Tuesday to remove people with severe, untreated mental illness from the city’s streets and subways, saying New York had “a moral obligation” to address “a crisis we see all around us.”

The effort will involve hospitalizing people involuntarily, even if they do not pose an immediate risk of harm to others. “The common misunderstanding persists that we cannot provide involuntary assistance unless the person is violent,” Mr. Adams said. “This myth must be put to rest.”

Crime has increased sharply in the subways this year, and the mayor said last month that mental illness was the main cause of it: “When you do an analysis of the subway crimes, you are seeing that it’s being driven by people with mental health issues.”

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Breaking News: New York City will hospitalize more mentally ill people involuntarily, in a push to remove them from streets and subways, Mayor Eric Adams said. https://t.co/XFDchWwKiW

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 29, 2022