Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency Services, March 25 Gold Hill man suspected of window-smashing spree in Grants Pass Oxygen masks of all sizes help smoke-choked pets Backyard bee ban begone, planners say St. Mary's student helps others with diabetes Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services, March 25 Emergency Services, March 24 Phoenix High officer looks back on varied career Emergency services, March 23 Crisis intervention: Medford police take training in response to surge in mental health calls Politics and Elections Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Special election: Jackson County voters OK marijuana tax Ex-Merkley aide chosen as Oregon secretary of state Ashland: Budget increase, swimming pool funding discussion on council agenda Education Dianne Williamson: College admissions mania ill-advised Oregon legislators may end fifth-year high school programs Phoenix High officer looks back on varied career Oregon school officials blasting new education budget Eight vie for Medford School Board positions Environment Corps hopes to clear Lost Creek Lake of debris Beetles taking toll on Ashland pines Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Controversial asphalt plant in Talent wins county planning approval Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area State News Dave Frohnmayer remembered at Eugene memorial Oregon school officials blasting new education budget Bend company's aim: Connect investors to Africa Brown proposes $1 billion in California drought spending Are they decorations or desecration? Nation - World Obituaries James "Elwood" Dye Dean R. Welch Peggy Medeiros Richard "Dick" Cooper Sherrill Elaine Wells Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Sports Latest Stories Crater comes up short in tourney opener Wait is over Former North runner Jordan triumphs Westbrook leads Thunder past Lakers Guthrie returns to kick off fundraising Varsity 541 College Sports Former North runner Jordan triumphs Howland introduced as Mississippi State coach ASU fires Sendek after nine seasons Against UCLA, Zags get a shot at revenge Ducks' Young eager to play at the next level Pro Sports Wait is over Westbrook leads Thunder past Lakers Guthrie returns to kick off fundraising Browns shun ‘Hard Knocks’ program Circuit wasn't an accomplice in Keselowski win Community Sports Business Latest Stories Ashland's Standing Stone brew pub joins green beer coalition Seasonally adjusted jobless rate dips to 7 percent for first time since May 2008 Broth maker leaves San Diego for Medford Cars We Remember: 1967 Rambler Rebel, 1960 Rambler American Super, and some early engine design flaws Silvio Calabi: Nissan has a winner with its new Murano Real Estate News East McAndrews Road sees a resurgence in commercial projects Business briefs: March 7 New construction prices jump 18.2 percent in Jackson County People In Business People in Business: Feb. 28 Transportation Rogue Disposal plans natural gas fueling site Alaska, United Express boost Medford airport to record February CEO Rieder leaving Erickson March 31 Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Agriculture Broth maker leaves San Diego for Medford Harry & David announces new president Opinion Latest Our View: Public records rules should apply to lawmakers, too Letters to the Editor, March 25 Kathleen Parker: Wacko birds nesting in U.S. Senate Rick Holmes: What addicts say about getting high and getting better Landgren cartoon: Arsenic wine Editorials Our View: Public records rules should apply to lawmakers, too Our View: Oregon schools will have to make do with a little more money Our View: Medford police tried to avoid confrontation Other Views: Dave Frohnmayer was a man of honor Our View: Textbook authors' reasoning hard to fathom Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 24 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Letters to the Editor, March 22 Letters to the Editor, March 21 Columns Kathleen Parker: Wacko birds nesting in U.S. Senate Michael Gerson: How to block a bad nuclear deal with Iran Kathleen Parker: Dear Starbucks: Let's not talk George Will: Social inequality's deepening roots Guest Opinion: Raise your voice against child abuse Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Raise your voice against child abuse Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action Guest Opinion: Return to clearcutting is wrong approach for counties Guest Opinion: Plan a Hawthorne playground for all children Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report Lifestyle Latest stories Dear Monty: The best real estate agent referrals Dave Ramsey: Pay kids for getting good grades? Lost in Suburbia: Above and beyond the call of nature Parsing the meaning behind wine medals and scores St. Mary's student helps others with diabetes Food Parsing the meaning behind wine medals and scores Season Stepp: Waffle iron isn’t just for breakfast anymore Food for Thought: Watermelon is the perfect smoothie ingredient Kitchen Call: Cobblers, crisps and crumbles Community blog: Stoke meat-smoking passion with these tips Home and Garden Dear Monty: The best real estate agent referrals Paul Rogers: Ground unworkable, despite spring’s arrival Home Help: How green is your house? Plant a few dahlias, Dahling Hello, honey: Invite bees for a lush garden Health St. Mary's student helps others with diabetes Community blog: Sleep Tight: Making Your Bed, Body and Mind Ready for Rest Health Watch: 5 tips for seasonal allergy relief A better bedtime Studying stress Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs Religion News: Presbyterian Church gives approval on same-sex marriage Religion briefs: Friday, March 13 More religion events in the Rogue Valley Religion Briefs Milestones and Achievements Haga-Parks Exercise helps special-needs kids adjust to airport procedures Engagement: Workman-Wright Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Alan Berman Trio plays the Imperial Ballroom in Medford Eugene O'Neill's 'Long Day's Journey into Night' opens at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival The Brothers Reed win a slot in the Rising Stars finals Pimps of Joytime play Historic Ashland Armory Here's five top entertainment picks for the coming week Theater Eugene O'Neill's 'Long Day's Journey into Night' opens at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Camelot's 'Sunset Boulevard' ambitious, not as dark Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Review: Thanks for the Memories pulls off challenging 'Anastasia' Review: 'Same Time' after all these years Music Pimps of Joytime play Historic Ashland Armory Live Music in Local Clubs Alt-rock band Key of Three is a contender this weekend at Rising Stars Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Kites & Crows, Ryan Marchand and Mercy Duo face-off this weekend at Rising Stars music competition in Jacksonville Community Events Rogue Valley artist Linda Evans' pastel paintings capture landscapes of Southern Oregon Ashland Independent Film Festival announces this year's lineup OSF Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jesse Lawson and Joe Moxley host 'Barkeeper' Dining Parsing the meaning behind wine medals and scores Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 22 Jasmine Thai Cuisine Restaurant Inspections Agave offers gourmet tacos, tamales, ensaladas and more Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Gold Hill man suspected of window-smashing spree in Grants Pass ... Our View: Public records rules should apply to lawmakers, too ... Corps hopes to clear Lost Creek Lake of debris ... Gold Hill man suspected of window-smashing spree in Grants Pass ... Our View: Public records rules should apply to lawmakers, too ... Corps hopes to clear Lost Creek Lake of debris ... OUR VIEW Our View: Medford police tried to avoid confrontation MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 22, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Mar. 22, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Police are frequently criticized for being to quick to use deadly force, especially when confronting mentally ill subjects. Sometimes this criticism is warranted. In the case of the fatal shooting on Argyle Court on Tuesday, it is not. Medford police tried to resolve the standoff peacefully for 19 hours, opening fire only when fired upon. Tuesday's tragic outcome says more about the need for better mental health intervention and treatment, and perhaps a change in the law, than it does about police procedures. As it happens, Mail Tribune reporter Thomas Moriarty was already working on an in-depth Sunday story about special training Medford police officers undergo to learn how to interact with mentally ill people in crisis situations when the situation developed on Argyle Court. Officers on the scene used that training during the 19-hour standoff. Medford Police Chief Tim George says his department works closely with local mental health workers, one of the elements of the "Memphis Model" developed by police in that city to more effectively respond to situations involving mental illness. You can read our story about the training local officers undergo in today's paper. This training is especially important given the number of cases police face involving mental health crisis. For example, just in the first two months of this year, Medford officers responded to more than 100 situations involving an attempted suicide or a person threatening suicide. George has high praise for county mental health workers, but he points out that the resources available to address the problem of mental illness are woefully inadequate. The Behavioral Analysis Unit known as Two North at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center has only 18 beds, which may be full when an officer arrives with a person who needs to be placed there. That unit also accepts only adults. There is no corresponding facility for teen-agers experiencing a mental health crisis. In addition, persons who are intoxicated cannot be admitted to the hospital until they are sober. Fortunately, there is a local sobering unit; not all counties have one. But it, too, may be full on a busy night. All these services cost money. Providing more acute treatment beds for adults or opening a secure ward for adolescents would mean taking funding from some other worthy expense such as schools or jails or road construction. One more dilemma faces police who are trying to help those experiencing a mental health crisis: The law does not allow them to take someone into custody who has not committed a crime and does not pose a danger to themselves or others. On Sunday, when officers responded to Andrew Charles Shipley's residence. he had locked himself inside, alone. Police could not contact him, and he had made no direct threats, so they could not arrest him. Civil commitment laws say individuals may not be detained against their will unless they clearly pose an immediate danger to themselves or others. Those laws were a reaction to a time when it was possible to have someone locked up simply by calling them "crazy." No one wants to violate anyone's civil rights, but some experts argue the pendulum has swung too far, and authorities need more leeway to detain people in crisis. That would mean changing the law, a long and controversial process because the vast majority of mentally ill people are not dangerous and should not be held against their will. Those who are dangerous need all the compassion and help society can provide before they hurt themselves or someone else. The Medford Police Department's thorough training and careful approach shows police understand that. Unfortunately, even the best crisis intervention techniques cannot stop bullets after they have been fired. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 22, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501