Lt Tim Troxel on How Police Respond to Mental-Health-related calls - Part Two

Parents today - especially Tim b/c of what he sees on the job - are concerned that their kids might get involved with drugs. He's got a 13-yo son and and an 11-yo daughter.

On Xmas day, he and other officers responded to a heroin overdose by a 22-yr-old girl. They gave her Narcan which saved her life.

Narcan must be refrigerated. It costs $80 a dose.

Wiki says:  When given intravenously it works within two minutes and when injected into a muscle it works within five minutes.^[1] The medication may also be used in the nose.[2

The drug addict and the person who reported her to 911 are not arrested for having used the opiate.

If Narcan is not administered by the EMT, the "thumper" may be used on the ambulance. The individual is strapped down and a compressor, approved by the American Heart Asso, massages their heart.

Said Mike about using CPR, "I'd rather thump them than kiss them."

Police officers get superb training on "shooting" here in the suburbs, the best in the country, said Tim.

What can we do as mental health patients or family members?

- Self-advocate. If a cop comes to your door, tell them the truth. People lie a lot to the cops. What's your condition? Bipolar? Depression? Schizophrenia?

He told about going to the scene of a crash. The driver was in terrible shape but mentioned she was a drug addict, which was helpful to the cops who had come to help. There's more to the story. I'll just list key words since I'm not writing a book.

Tractor trailer crushed the car. An officer forgot to put on protective gloves. Touched brain matter, blood and tissue with his unprotected hands. AIDS? Hep C? Got the Hep C treatment as the hospital, due to HIPPAA Laws, refused to disclose whether the dead individual had a diz. Ridiculous!

- Be responsible. Take meds as prescribed. Avoid drinking and drugging. Get therapy.

- Educate yourself. Where is your crisis center? Know the law.

- Be calm and compliant.

More on recruitment. Very competitive to become a cop. Last August there were three to 400 people who took the test - not sure where - Phila area?

The Northeast Region is the hardest to break into as there are so many people who want jobs.

In the police academy they'll learn that "the use of force" is a scientific formula. If a person is coming toward you with a knife, depending on how far away he is, you may not have time to draw your gun.

It's not like in the movies, he said. 

Me, sitting in the peanut gallery, said I'd simply put up my elbow as a shield.

The group told me my elbow would never work.



Oh yeah, Michael!!!

Our gift to Tim were deep purple violets for his girlfriend and a box of candy from Kremp Florist... both milk and dark chocolate... and you expect me to sit here at 11:52 pm and not dream of eating one of those chocolate peanut butter cups - fatter than Reese - hey, what time does Kremp close anyway?



Scuse me, my order is ready.