It happens far too often - the vicious fatal stabbing of a veteran FDNY Lieutenant and the severe beating of a woman inside a subway station. The victims did not know their aggressors, who both experienced mental health episodes.
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It is something Eyewitness News asked Mayor Eric Adams about.
"Many of these folks we see have hospital bands, we know they've been in the system, right and they come back out - that's the problem," said Adams.
Officials are also seeing an uptick in 911 calls involving emotionally disturbed people.
"There's a small number that, if they don't receive the care they need then it's a very violent encounter, and that's what we're seeing," said Adams.
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When it comes to 911 calls involving those in crisis, so far this year, there have been about 131,000 - up from roughly 128,000 during the same time last year. That is an eight percent increase - some 500 each day, a staggering number.
Mayor Adams admits the system has been failing for some time - a person has an episode, some receive medication and then are released.
A better solution, Adams says is the so-called 'clubhouse model' - a multi-pronged approach that goes way beyond just policing.
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"Our goal now is to build that social net infrastructure - we have to catch people before they carry out the attacks and we have not been doing that," Adams said.
This sets up a dysfunctional revolving door scenario.
"You're in the hospital with me, know you have violent tendencies, schizophrenia, or some other issue, and I need to hand you off to someone - not hand you back into the streets," he adds.
Then it becomes a situation of not if - but when that person will strike again.
"The situation is not going to get better, you need to do something, you need to change something," Adams said.
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