Addressing the Reality of New York’s Dangerous Homelessness Among the Mentally Ill

Public outrage over the presence of dangerous individuals with mental illness in the streets and subways has spurred Gov. Hochul, Mayor Adams, and prospective mayors to seek solutions. However, mere adjustments to existing laws and systems are insufficient; New York requires comprehensive, dependable methods to remove severely mentally ill individuals from public spaces and ensure their long-term wellbeing.

Recent shocking incidents include a triple stabbing assailant, a K2-fueled fire starter who incinerated a sleeping woman on the F train, a shover in Manhattan’s 1 train, and the fatal unprovoked stabbing of a 14-year-old in the Bronx.

We are now three years past the subway shoving death of Michelle Go, with no significant progress made.

It’s time to move beyond conventional politics—no more jargon, buzzwords, or half-hearted measures: We need effective solutions.

Mayor Adams’ newly proposed initiative “Bridge to Home,” aims to establish a dedicated facility for homeless individuals with mental illness and include 900 “Safe Haven” beds throughout the city by 2027. This is a positive step, targeting those who contribute significantly to public disorder and violent crime.

However, Adams’ proposal lacks necessary psychiatric triage centers where law enforcement and outreach teams can bring individuals for assessment and placement.

Many “Emotionally Disturbed Persons” require detox services, as a significant number self-medicate with alcohol, marijuana, and street drugs like K2/spice, a known synthetic marijuana.

Governor Hochul can facilitate progress by advocating for the Supportive Intervention Act, which expands the criteria for involuntary commitment and redefines the inadequate “danger to self” standard, to pass alongside this year’s state budget.

Additional legislation should prevent individuals deemed mentally unfit to stand trial from being released without treatment—a reform even supported by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, given that the current system frequently returns such individuals to the streets.

If someone charged with a crime is found unfit for trial, they pose a clear public risk and require inpatient treatment along with mandatory follow-up outpatient care.

It is also crucial to solidify Kendra’s Law as a permanent and more robust measure, making it easier to mandate Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) and allowing families to secure AOT for their loved ones. In fact, anyone released from mental health inpatient care should undergo screening for mandatory outpatient treatment.

Furthermore, both law enforcement and social workers must actively participate in the enforcement of AOT mandates: individuals who do not comply likely require re-hospitalization.

While due process is important, a system that permits so many dangerous individuals to roam the streets and subways is clearly dependent on dysfunctional processes.

The belief that voluntary community care is sufficient for those struggling with severe mental illness has been nothing but a misguided hope since the deinstitutionalization policy took hold.

The primary objective should be to place every unhoused, seriously mentally ill individual who is causing distress in the subways and streets into an inpatient psychiatric facility, only to be released when they are ready to agree to mandatory outpatient follow-up care.

State legislators will have to overcome their hesitation to limit the civil liberties and autonomy of those suffering from mental illness and their distaste for inpatient options for serious mental health conditions.

It’s essential to disregard professional “advocates” who falsely claim that the streets are a suitable environment for vulnerable individuals.

It’s time to face reality before more innocent New Yorkers fall victim to these ticking time bombs.