Uncategorized

OP-ED: Police Must Stop Killing Mentally Ill Citizens

Published

11 years ago

July 2, 2015

By Gwen Moore

The life of a man with schizophrenia, 31-year-old Dontre Hamilton, ended after he was struck by 14 bullets from a Milwaukee police officer’s handgun on April 30, 2014. The lethal confrontation sparked a firestorm in my city, resulting in several massive protests and the notification of the National Guard.

<p>

A year later, many of my constituents still ask what is being done to address concerns about police reform and how we can fill the gaps in our mental health safety net.

According to reports, Hamilton was taking a nap in a popular public park when officer Christopher Manney woke him in response to a complaint made by a local Starbucks employee.

Despite assuming Hamilton had mental health problems, Manney ignored his own department protocol in dealing with emotionally disturbed people and proceeded to frisk Hamilton.

The search aggravated Hamilton – it was the second time in just a few hours that he had been hassled by police for sleeping in the park.

The two men quickly became embroiled in a physical clash. Manney reportedly struck Hamilton with his baton during the scuffle, but soon Hamilton grabbed it and allegedly struck Manney in the neck. Seconds later, Hamilton was on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds to his neck, back, chest and extremities. He died hours later.

After the fatal shooting, Manney was fired for failing to comply with department procedures in frisking Hamilton like a criminal. Despite his termination, the Milwaukee County district attorney chose not to press charges, saying Manney had killed Hamilton in self-defense.

Like many Americans, Hamilton struggled with his schizophrenia. At times, he was plagued by auditory hallucinations, which became so overwhelming that he once stabbed himself in the neck.

Antipsychotic medications successfully suppressed the voices, but at the time of his death, Hamilton hadn’t taken the drugs for about five months. While many people with schizophrenia find it difficult to keep up with their treatment regimens, Hamilton had reportedly foregone his medication because an insurance mix-up prevented him from obtaining it.

Access to mental health services like therapy and drugs is even more limited than other types of medical care. In 2012, the Washington Post reported 89.3m Americans living in federally designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas, compared to 55.3m Americans living in similarly designated primary-care shortage areas.

Inadequate access is just the tip of the iceberg. States throughout the country are still trying to recover from $4.35bn in cuts to their mental health budgets between 2009 and 2012 .

To make matters worse, state momentum to enhance funding and improve the quality of mental health services slowed notably in 2014. Sadly, such services are often the first to get cut during tough economic times.

This leads to untreated sufferers on our streets, who then, like Dontre Hamilton, often end up entangled in our criminal justice system. Unfortunately, our badly broken mental health infrastructure has turned our local police officers into first responders for individuals in crisis.

Earlier this month, The Guardian reported on the death of Denis Reyes, another mentally ill man who went into cardiac arrest as New York City police officers took him into custody. His family recently filed a complaint against the police involved in the encounter, claiming they caused his sudden death.

Proper training of our law enforcement officers is crucial to help prevent tragedies before they occur, which is why I recently offered and passed an amendment to the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2016. The amendment will increase funding for the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act, which could provide assistance and training for police departments to safely and appropriately deal with individuals with mental health issues.

It is my hope that my legislative efforts will help prevent more tragedies like those of Dontre Hamilton and Denis Reyes.

Mental health plays a vital role in 21st-century policing. Local law enforcement officials routinely put their lives on the line to uphold public safety, but ill-equipped police officers are at risk of causing more harm than good.

Federal lawmakers need to pick up the slack on funding for critical police training where states and local municipalities have failed. I can’t think of a better way to honor the life and memory of Dontre Hamilton than to prevent others from sharing a similar fate.

U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore represents Wisconsin’s 4th Congressional District.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

City’s Passes $2.4 Billion Budget, Leaving Some Residents Angry and Dissatisfied

Don't Miss

BOOK REVIEW: “Twisted: My Dreadlock Chronicles”

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Uncategorized

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

7 months ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Special to The Post

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department (Oakland HCD) announced its awardees for the 2024-2025 New Construction of Multifamily Affordable Housing Notice of Funding Availability (New Construction NOFA) today Five permanently affordable housing developments received awards out of 24 applications received by the Department, with award amounts ranging from $7 million to $28 million.

In a statement released on Jan. 16, Oakland’s HCD stated, “Five New Construction Multifamily Affordable Housing Development projects awarded a total of $80.5 million to develop 583 affordable rental homes throughout Oakland. Awardees will leverage the City’s investments to apply for funding from the state and private entities.”

In December, the office of Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 City Councilmember, worked with HCD to allocate an additional $10 Million from Measure U to the funding pool. The legislation also readopted various capital improvement projects including street paving and upgrades to public facilities.

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is the media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

12 months ago

January 30, 2025

Oakland Post

Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 city councilmember. File photo.

Special to The Post

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units, including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Alameda County

Oakland Acquisition Company’s Acquisition of County’s Interest in Coliseum Property on the Verge of Completion

The Board of Supervisors is committed to closing the deal expeditiously, and County staff have worked tirelessly to move the deal forward on mutually agreeable terms. The parties are down to the final details and, with the cooperation of OAC and Coliseum Way Partners, LLC, the Board will take a public vote at an upcoming meeting to seal this transaction.

Published

1 year ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Haubert. Official photo.

Special to The Post

The County of Alameda announced this week that a deal allowing the Oakland Acquisition Company, LLC, (“OAC”) to acquire the County’s 50% undivided interest in the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum complex is in the final stages of completion.

Oakland has already finalized a purchase and sale agreement with OAC for its interest in the property. OAC’s acquisition of the County’s property interest will achieve two longstanding goals of the County:

The Oakland-Alameda Coliseum complex will finally be under the control of a sole owner with capacity to make unilateral decisions regarding the property; and
The County will be out of the sports and entertainment business, free to focus and rededicate resources to its core safety net

In an October 2024 press release from the City of Oakland, the former Oakland mayor described the sale of its 50% interest in the property as an “historic achievement” stating that the transaction will “continue to pay dividends for generations to come.”

The Board of Supervisors is pleased to facilitate single-entity ownership of this property uniquely centered in a corridor of East Oakland that has amazing potential.

“The County is committed to bringing its negotiations with OAC to a close,” said Board President David Haubert.