What city services are available for people ranting in public?

[Anonymous]

I took a walk down Wisconsin Ave. on Sunday and passed a man pacing and ranting on the street corner of Newark and Wisconsin. He was shouting about cannibalism, among other topics, and audible blocks away. I have called 311 before for wellness checks on such individuals when they have directly threatened passersby (some one telling people they were going to die and reaching out to grab Deal and Wilson kids' arms in Tenleytown is one occasion where I intervened). This was not quite at that level, but what struck me were all the many other folks cruising by as if this man was not having a complete psychotic break.
As this happens so frequently in DC, ISO on the laws covering such a scenario (disturbing the peace?) and who to call. The police are not social workers, though presumably 311 can dispatch some city service for a wellness/mental health check? What, if anything can be set in motion--and who to call exactly?
TY

[Anonymous]

DC does not have any services for these people which is why everyone walks past without calling it in. The police do not get involved until after the person becomes violent.

[Anonymous]

he's not really breaking the law and there's nothing the police can do

[Anonymous]

Not much you can do if they're just outside walking up and down the street ranting during the day and not threatening anybody or making a ruckus inside a public building.
Little thing called the First Amendment.

Only law on the books relating to disturbing the peace in dc is as follows...
In accordance with D.C. Official Code § 22-1321(d), “it is unlawful for a person to make an unreasonably loud noise between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. that is likely to annoy or disturb one or more other persons in their residences.”

But it should be noted...
Disorderly conduct arrests, including “Disorderly Conduct, Noise at Night,” shall not be based on an individual’s conduct or language toward a member. Disorderly conduct arrests based merely on a person’s language, volume of voice, gestures, or attitude toward law enforcement are not lawful arrests.

[Anonymous]

A nice park bench, I would hope.

[Anonymous]

Who makes these laws? Are they set in stone? With so many clearly ill folks on the street, could see it time for an update.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your humanity and concern. You are right; this sounds like an individual in the midst of a mental health crisis. There are a number of things you can do as a concerned citizen: you can call MPD using either the non-emergency (311) or emergency number (if the individual appears to be at risk--walking into traffic, running around and shouting). Be clear that you are reporting an individual in distress who may need medical attention. Or you can call DC Mobile Crisis Services (202-673-9300); these are the emergency psychiatric teams for the city. A team will come out to assess the individual and can decide if s/he is in need of emergency treatment and/or connect that individual to services.
Please remember that these individuals are ill and need our compassion and assistance.
Thank you for your kindness to those most in need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your humanity and concern. You are right; this sounds like an individual in the midst of a mental health crisis. There are a number of things you can do as a concerned citizen: you can call MPD using either the non-emergency (311) or emergency number (if the individual appears to be at risk--walking into traffic, running around and shouting). Be clear that you are reporting an individual in distress who may need medical attention. Or you can call DC Mobile Crisis Services (202-673-9300); these are the emergency psychiatric teams for the city. A team will come out to assess the individual and can decide if s/he is in need of emergency treatment and/or connect that individual to services.
Please remember that these individuals are ill and need our compassion and assistance.
Thank you for your kindness to those most in need.

someone who is just yelling on the sidewalk is not going to be FD12'd, brought to CPEP or a hospital, or anything else because there's no indication they're at risk of harming themselves or others. You could contact Friendship Place's street outreach team https://friendshipplace.org/programs-outreach/street-outreach/ to see if they could check on the person, but there's a good chance they already know him.

if MPD shows up, there is a risk that the situation escalates and the person gets tased or shot or restrained in a dangerous way.

OP, ask yourself how you'd feel if you called 311/911 and it led to the man being killed by cops. Would that be more or less uncomfortable for you than walking by a person yelling?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your humanity and concern. You are right; this sounds like an individual in the midst of a mental health crisis. There are a number of things you can do as a concerned citizen: you can call MPD using either the non-emergency (311) or emergency number (if the individual appears to be at risk--walking into traffic, running around and shouting). Be clear that you are reporting an individual in distress who may need medical attention. Or you can call DC Mobile Crisis Services (202-673-9300); these are the emergency psychiatric teams for the city. A team will come out to assess the individual and can decide if s/he is in need of emergency treatment and/or connect that individual to services.
Please remember that these individuals are ill and need our compassion and assistance.
Thank you for your kindness to those most in need.

Thank you so much. This is exactly the information I sought. I have called 311 in the past (for a person lying unresponsive in the middle of the road; another time for a person lying in our bushes unresponsive; and another time for the Tenleytown example where the person was basically shouting death comments and reaching out trying to handle children by the wrist and backpacks). I think the person I saw yesterday warranted some sort of checking on, with the pacing and screaming. I will put the DC Mobile Crisis Service in my phone. I perceive that often people think it's cruel to intercede. To me, that just affirms the "invisibility" of the itinerant, mentally ill. If these resources get used, maybe the city will allocate more funding, or find new, innovative ways to address mental health in our city?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your humanity and concern. You are right; this sounds like an individual in the midst of a mental health crisis. There are a number of things you can do as a concerned citizen: you can call MPD using either the non-emergency (311) or emergency number (if the individual appears to be at risk--walking into traffic, running around and shouting). Be clear that you are reporting an individual in distress who may need medical attention. Or you can call DC Mobile Crisis Services (202-673-9300); these are the emergency psychiatric teams for the city. A team will come out to assess the individual and can decide if s/he is in need of emergency treatment and/or connect that individual to services.
Please remember that these individuals are ill and need our compassion and assistance.
Thank you for your kindness to those most in need.

someone who is just yelling on the sidewalk is not going to be FD12'd, brought to CPEP or a hospital, or anything else because there's no indication they're at risk of harming themselves or others. You could contact Friendship Place's street outreach team https://friendshipplace.org/programs-outreach/street-outreach/ to see if they could check on the person, but there's a good chance they already know him.

if MPD shows up, there is a risk that the situation escalates and the person gets tased or shot or restrained in a dangerous way.

OP, ask yourself how you'd feel if you called 311/911 and it led to the man being killed by cops. Would that be more or less uncomfortable for you than walking by a person yelling?

Your first point is very helpful. Though I am confused by why it matters if they already know him. Wouldn't that relationship make it all the easier for them to offer services and interventions? They are such a neighborhood establishment. What exactly is their outreach purview ?

As to your second, when I have called 311 I have never directly seen the police officers try to 'take in' a person. I have seen them call a van, which I assume is the mental health service whose number we now all have.

[Anonymous]

Saw someone shouting obscenities yesterday on Conn. and today on L St. I'm not sure there's much you can do, unless they're breaking some sort of law. It's not against the law to have a serious mental illness. I do wish we had better mental healthcare in our country, so that these folks wouldn't slip through the cracks in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Saw someone shouting obscenities yesterday on Conn. and today on L St. I'm not sure there's much you can do, unless they're breaking some sort of law. It's not against the law to have a serious mental illness. I do wish we had better mental healthcare in our country, so that these folks wouldn't slip through the cracks in the first place.

it sounds like this is a health service you could call PP: DC Mobile Crisis Services (202-673-9300). The mentally ill person most likely is too far gone to call it for themselves. If you are hesitant, a good reminder is to remind yourself that they are someone's child.

[Anonymous]

There is a mentally ill man ranting on and on at 1600 Pennsylvania ave. I don’t think the police will help.