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New York City in 2024 is currently facing several serious issues that threaten the safety of its citizens, workers, and tourists. While the rise of migrant crime often gets all the headlines, perhaps the biggest issue this city faces is mental health. The recent knife attacks, and the Daniel Penny chokehold trial are fatal examples of mentally ill people being put out on the street when they should have been properly rehabilitated before release. Professor of Bioethics at NYU Langone Medical Center Dr. Arthur Caplan spoke with the WOR Morning Show about the failures of New York City in dealing with this mental health crisis.
“The idea was go to community treatment and that was never done, so now they’re on the street, they’re in the prison, they’re in the subway,” Dr. Caplan told host Larry Mendte.
City leadership will begin looking at new guidelines to help keep mentally ill people off the street which Dr. Caplan believes is needed: “I am glad that somebody is finally going to start to do something.” Dr. Caplan added, “Our city is almost held hostage by the failure to address mental illness.”
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