Poll: 9 in 10 NYers support involuntary commitment laws amid crime concerns

Poll: Most NYers in favor of removing mentally ill off streets

A new poll suggests that 9 in 10 New Yorkers support expanding involuntary confinement laws that would keep severely mentally ill people off of the streets and subways. FOX 5 NY's Antwan Lewis details the poll's findings.

NEW YORK - A new poll suggests that 9 in 10 New Yorkers support expanding involuntary confinement laws that would force people with severe mental illness into treatment, underlining heightened fears over crime and public safety.

Dig deeper:

The Association for a Better New York, a real-estate advocacy group, commissioned Tulchin Research for the poll that surveyed 600 New York City voters between Feb. 4 through Feb. 10.

According to the poll, 90% of voters "totally agree" that "expanding eligibility for involuntary treatment and care for people with severe mental illness will protect public safety and make our communities safer." Furthermore, 88% of those surveyed strongly agreed that "expanding the state eligibility standard for involuntary treatment and care to include individuals who are unable to care for themselves and meet their basic needs."

Pollsters, however, did not ask respondents about specific methods of enforcement or treatment.

Crime and mental health in NYC

The backstory:

In recent months, a series of violent encounters have attracted national attention, including an attacker setting a man on fire in the middle of Times Square.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and NYC Mayor Eric Adams have proposed involuntary hospitalization plans with mixed reactions from Democratic colleagues.

A homeless man sleeps in an empty station as workers close down the New York City subway system, the largest public transportation system in the nation, for nightly cleaning due to the continued spread of the coronavirus on May 06, 2020 in New York C

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State law currently allows police to compel people to be taken to hospitals for evaluation if they appear to be mentally ill and their behavior poses a risk of physical harm to themselves or others. Psychiatrists must then determine whether such patients need to be hospitalized against their will in a delicate and complex process involving several factors.

NYC's involuntary hospitalization plan for the mentally ill under scrutiny

New York City Mayor Eric Adams' new mental health plan to involuntarily hospitalize the mentally ill is coming under scrutiny by the City Council, as they take a closer look at how well the plan is working and if officers are getting enough training.

What they're saying:

"New Yorkers widely perceive that there have been more public safety incidents involving individuals with untreated severe mental illness in recent years, and most report personal experience being around people in public who appear to be unable to meet their basic needs. Providing involuntary treatment and care is widely regarded as a more compassionate alternative to leaving individuals with severe mental illness on the streets," the Association for a Better New York wrote in a press release.

"We look forward to working with the Legislature to enact these statutory changes and align New York with 43 other states that already have this in their laws. The cost of inaction is far too high," a Hochul spokesperson told the New York Post in response to the polling.

The other side:

Most people with mental illness are not violent and they are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrators, according to mental health experts.

Many critics say the legislation does not address the route of the problem: a lack of resources for those in need.

"There are many more effective, less coercive, less intrusive, and less violent medical interventions that would serve the majority of those in need," NYC Council Member Tiffany Cabán said in a statement when Hochul unveiled her plan.