She owes over $12,000 for 911 calls, now she may lose her home

[tulipsandroses]

Where Parker lives, in South Euclid, Ohio, a local ordinance allows the city to fine residents if the cops repeatedly show up at their house—something that’s happened to Parker’s family numerous times—to deal with a “nuisance” or criminal complaint. Parker, whose adult son has schizophrenia, was punished under the law after her child’s worsening mental health needs triggered repeated visits from the police.

And Parker’s son, who doesn’t even live with her, was usually the one calling the cops—not her. On one occasion, Parker was fined after her son called 911 and “made bizarre and threatening complaints against his mother and family members,” according to a lawsuit Parker filed against South Euclid in late August alleging the violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and her constitutional rights. Another time, he called the police to say he was suicidal. That cost her too.

“I feel that no one is there to help me,” Parker said. “I just feel like they don’t care. It bothers me because I might be homeless. And I don’t know what to do. I worked all my life.”

https://www.vice.com/en/article/4avzpn/anti-nuisance-laws-calling-911-home-foreclosure

[PoliticAverse]

1. This is clearly unfair...

the local police chief can declare a home a problem and threaten fines if two or more incidents happen at—or even near—one address within a year. (Under city law, “nuisance activities” or incidents can range from possessing a stink bomb to assault.) If the cops are called to the home again, the property owner can be punished with a series of escalating fines, regardless of whether they were at fault.

I think her lawsuit has a good chance in resulting in a favorable outcome for her.

[summer_in_TX]

11. If she only had the money to file a lawsuit.

I wish some folks in her town would take the matter up with the local city council, or get the newspaper to cover it.

[Wounded Bear]

2. We do a really shitty job with mental health in this country...

This sounds like a case where "control your kids" doesn't fit very well.

[cinematicdiversions]

3. The nuisance laws are racist and discourage calls to the police.

They should be replaced with a more fair and consumer oriented option.

I feel for anyone who has an adult child with mental illness. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

[Skittles]

4. I hope publicity helps to get this resolved in a humane, fair way

yes indeed

[Sneederbunk]

5. Does not say what Parker did to prevent such calls.

[FelineOverlord]

6. Her adult son with schizophrenia doesn't live with her

And apparently he was the one making the calls to 911. I don’t see how she could have prevented that.

[Phoenix61]

7. Her son has schizophrenia.

“And Parker’s son, who doesn’t even live with her, was usually the one calling the cops—not her.”

[pnwmom]

8. She couldn't have done anything to prevent her adult, non-resident, son from making the calls. n/t

[No Vested Interest]

9. Perhaps she is listed as the payer of the phone account,

and, therefore, considered legally accountable.

There should be a way around this circumstance.
NAMI or another organization with experience in dealing with mental health problems may have good advice or be able to help her directly.

[kcr]

10. Well, feel free to give some suggestions

[Sneederbunk]

13. Take phone away from son.

[scipan]

25. Phones are pretty necessary.

[Caliman73]

26. Easier said than done.

Doing so might result in an altercation, which might lead to an assault and her injury or death, not because of any malice from the son, but because he has a psychiatric condition that leads to his detachment from the shared reality.

I worked in mental health for several years and I dealt with some strange and sometimes dangerous and scary things. The one time I was truly frightened for my safety was sitting across from a gentleman who was floridly psychotic. When asymptomatic, this young man was nice, friendly, and charming. That day he was off and I sat to talk with him and assess him. He didn't do anything obviously aggressive or physical, but you could tell that he was not there, that his ability to distinguish reality was gone. He looked at me with a calm but very determined and certain look and threatened me with physical violence. I calmly told him, "Okay, I am going to go check on some things in the office, got up without making any sudden moves, and walked toward the office, never turning my back to him. I got into the office and contacted the psychiatric emergency team and he was placed on a psychiatric hold. He was gone for 21 days, came back and had only a vague memory of what had transpired.

She can try to prevent him from coming to her home, but then that takes away any supports the son may have to help him. Being punitive to people who are going through mental health crises does absolutely nothing to alleviate the situation.

[LanternWaste]

27. What immediate result to the mother do expect from your suggestion?

Something sweet, amicable and without consequence, hmmm?

[Devil Child]

30. You must have limited experience working with people with serious mental illness

To recommend this so casually.

[ZonkerHarris]

12. The mayor and police chief need to face a dozen news cameras and a thousand questions

[Cryptoad]

14. Sad to say but,,,,,

souinds like he needs to be in an environment where his behavior can more closely monitored,,,,

[Caliman73]

28. Likely true. How to get him there?

In California, we have Welfare & Institutions Code 5150. It allows for a person to be detained for up to 72 hours when they are a danger to themselves (suicide), danger to others (threats of imminent harm toward others or violent acts) or gravely disabled (unable to secure basic needs of life because of a psychiatric disorder). When someone is placed on a hold, they automatically become subject to declare a writ of habeus corpus. They can challenge their detention. I used to take people to the hospital who were psychotic, manic, etc... and met those criteria. Sometimes in the lobby, when the psychiatric staff came out to take them into the locked setting, they would button up. Just sit there and only answer yes or no questions. Mind you, these are people who just 20 minutes before, were going to kill their neighbor to "get the demon out of him". We would have to argue with psych staff about the advisement and criteria for hospitalization. I only hospitalized people when I assessed they truly needed it, and was usually able to do enough talking with my client's to get them to open up about their symptoms that the staff would ultimately take them in, but it was a struggle. Not to mention that sometimes there aren't enough beds at the psychiatric facilities to take people.

The reality is that mental health services all over the United States are horrific. The understanding of people who have not been involved in mental health services is also really poor. People have little understanding about psychotic processes or manic episodes, or even Major Depression. Issues of client's rights to freedom, privacy, and autonomy and issues of economics come into play when intervening in situations that can be life and death to clients and their families or people in the community. Yet, we really have not had any substantive discussion about how to deal with the subject of behavioral health.

[Cryptoad]

31. ah,,, that is the rub

I would say a good place to start would be more mental health services facilities and institutions. We can not let the mental unstable become the majority or all is lost!

[Caliman73]

32. They won't. Unless there is some genetic thing that happens.

While about 20 percent of the population experiences some kind of mental health crisis at any given time, chronically mentally ill people with significant impairment, typically account for about 3% to 10% of any given population. The problem is that when someone is in mental crisis, they can need a tremendous amount of resources. Many also require ongoing treatment. Medications used to treat the symptoms of mental illness are often poorly tolerated and create side effects that are unpleasant for the user. In situations where mania is a predominant symptom, it can feel really really good to be manic and there is a cycle of non-compliance with medication and treatment.

Like I said, there are also issues with compulsory treatment versus a person's right of self determination. It is a complex situation. More services are critical, reducing the stigma around mental health and treatment is another critical issue and getting a better understanding by the general public is important to getting the other two situations accomplished. When we talk about "crazy people" and "danger" associated with mental health problems, it pushes people into the shadows.

They won't become the majority. They have been around since humans have been around, but if we do not figure out a way to help people, they will continue to suffer. Their families will continue to suffer. Communities will suffer, and society as a whole will suffer.

[Demovictory9]

15. i knew she was.black before reading article

[yourmovemonkey]

18. Yep, I guessed right too

[Mopar151]

16. No due process

It's a "poor tax".

[Joinfortmill]

17. Sounds like a good case for the ACLU.

[LisaL]

19. If people need help, people need help.

I would understand making people pay for hoax 911 calls.
If the calls are real, why penalize people for making them?

[XanaDUer2]

29. It's batshit crazy

what if your partner is beating you constantly? Do you get fined for numerous calls? I thought we paid taxes for police calls?

Locally, we have "abusing 911" law.

[KentuckyWoman]

20. The fines go to the property owner of the address, not the phone owner.

https://www.cleveland.com/lyndhurst-south-euclid/2017/04/south_euclid_24.html

If police are called several times to the same address within a 12-month period, or are forced to deal with the same troublemakers at various sites in the city, a nuisance is declared.

A nuisance call can include repeated instances of barking dogs, family squabbles, littering, and other offenses where police are continually called upon to intervene.

On the second such call, the property owner is delivered a police letter notifying them that the third call, and all subsequent calls, will result in escalating fines. Those fines start at $250 with the third call, increase to $500 with the next, and $750 and then $1,000 with the following calls.

The lawsuit files says the laws are not evenly applied to minorities or people with disabilities.

[rownesheck]

21. These kinds of situations

should not be dealt with by the police. We need to divert police involvement from many, many issues that arrive in our daily lives. Mental health should be dealt with by therapists or social workers. Keep the police away.

[mopinko]

22. i agree but you have to replace it first.

i have a couple of mi kids. i've had to make that call. fortunately it went well.
but i had a kid's shrink tell me- that's all there is. it's what you have to do.

at least chicago has crisis teams, if you know to ask for them. you get cops and emts.

but this shit here of fining people. i just cant.

[dsc]

23. The biggest problem, if true, is that they took him to her house

[Demsrule86]

24. Bedford Ohio had such a law too.

She needs to call the ACLU or a civil rights lawyer.


https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/oh-cuyahoga/bedford-nuisance-ordinance-subject-of-aclu-legal-aid-society-lawsuit

https://www.cleveland.com/crime/2019/07/city-of-bedford-to-stop-enforcing-nuisance-ordinance-amid-lawsuit-claiming-it-discriminates-against-minorities-and-women.html

https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2020/09/bedford-to-pay-350000-repeal-nuisance-ordinance-that-aclu-said-is-discriminatory-adversely-affects-renters-who-call-cops.html