New York mayor plans to hospitalize mentally ill people involuntarily

The mayor of New York City announced on Tuesday that he is ordering police and emergency services to more aggressively hospitalize those with mental illness who are on the streets, even if the hospitalization is involuntary and they pose no threat to other people.

The Adams administration did not provide evidence that forced treatment is effective in treating mental illness or preventing crime.

State law also generally limits the ability of authorities to force someone into a mental health facility unless they pose a danger to themselves or others.

As part of its initiative, the city said it would open a phone line to allow police officers to consult with clinicians.

The mayor has also announced a subway safety plan and vowed to expand outreach teams, made up of clinicians and police officers. But critics called the plan a crackdown on the mentally ill and the homeless.