On Point | Podcast
Could mandating mental health care help the most vulnerable?
Jan 6, 2025
Brandon del Pozo, a former New York City police officer turned assistant professor, argues for a more compassionate approach to mental health care, emphasizing that sometimes forced treatment may be necessary. He critiques society's priority on personal liberty over effective care, using the tragic case of Jordan Neely to highlight systemic failures. Del Pozo discusses the delicate balance between freedom and safety, challenging the current mental health and justice systems to prioritize supportive treatment over punitive measures for vulnerable individuals.
47:22
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Quick takeaways
- Brandon del Pozo argues that prioritizing personal liberty over compassionate care has failed the severely mentally ill community, necessitating forced treatment in certain cases.
- The incident surrounding Jordan Neely emphasizes societal shortcomings in mental health care, highlighting the urgent need for a balance between individual rights and public safety.
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Incident Overview
On May 1, 2023, an incident occurred on a New York City subway involving Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old man who was reportedly acting erratically and screaming about hunger and thirst. Witnesses described Neely as being aggressive, and one passenger called 911 to report a white man, later identified as Daniel Penny, restraining him. When police arrived, Neely was found unconscious due to the chokehold that Penny had applied. The medical examiner later confirmed that the chokehold was the cause of Neely's death, leading to significant public outcry and debate about the actions taken that day.
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