The Brian Lehrer Show

Policing the Mentally Ill

Thursday, March 27, 2008

In November of last year an emotionally ill 18-year-old was shot by police officers who thought he was holding a gun. It turned out to be a hairbrush. A mental health advocate, a policy consultant, and an NYPD spokesman unpack the debate over how best to police the mentally ill. Plus, Doug Rushkoff returns for the last installment of “Open Source Living,” and we continue our discussion on congestion pricing.

Crowd Sourcing Project: Dig in and tell us what angels or devils you find in the details of the congestion pricing plan!

Listen to the whole show

Yard Work

Matt Schuerman, WNYC economic development reporter, and Greg David, editor of Crain's New York Business, look at the new railyard deal for Manhattan's west side and check in on the development of the Atlantic railyards in Brooklyn.

Congestion Pricing: Taxi!

Sam Schwartz, president and CEO of traffic planning and engineering firm Sam Schwartz LLC and columnist for the Daily News, discusses the role taxis plays in the congestion pricing debate -- are they part of the solution or part of the congestion?

Open Source Living: The Open Source Ethos

Our series of conversations with media thinker Douglas Rushkoff, author of Get Back in the Box, wraps up today. What lasting lessons can we draw from our discussions on interactive media - lessons that don't even involve computers ?

Part One of "Open Source Living"
Part Two of "Open Source Living"
Part Three of "Open Source Living"
Doug Rushkoff's Website

How to Help Mentally Ill Offenders

Last year, the NYPD responded to more than 87,000 calls having to do with emotionally disturbed people. Melissa Reuland, senior research associate at the Police Executive Research Forum, Louise Pyers, executive director of the Connecticut Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement (CABLE), and NYPD spokesperson Paul Browne weigh in on how the NYPD polices the mentally ill and how they might do a better job.

Read City Limits: "Debating How to Police a Challenging Population"
The Criminal Justice - Mental Health Consensus Project

Three Ways of Looking at Foreclosures

WNYC's Bob Hennelly reports on Senator Obama's speech on the economy at Cooper Union, then Jason Furman, Brookings Institution senior fellow, and Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal editorial board compare the three presidential candidates' responses to the mortgage crisis.

Stephen Moore's bio
more about Jason Furman