Will police want to participate in a regime where mental health professionals are part of the crisis response team? I wouldn’t say “no,” but I wouldn’t say “yes.” At very least, these kinds of deaths and the negative publicity they create will bring them to the table. Again, a step in the right direction.
It seems to me that the New Commons approach of convening diverse groups of stakeholders could create the kind of collaborative environment where a workable alternative protocol could be created. It really is a New Commons kind of problem.
Preservation Future: a Conversation
Transformational Cooperative Volunteerism - John Speck