Abdul El-Sayed: ‘Instead of Sending a Guy with a Gun, We Actually Send a Trained Mental Professional’

EXCERPT:

EL-SAYED: “I think the vast majority of people agree that they want to be get home safely every night. I think the vast majority of law enforcement agree that they want to get home safely every night. I think the way that we have thought about law enforcement is we answer every social problem with somebody with a gun. And you talk to folks in law enforcement with whom I've worked very closely, they'll tell you they don't want to go on those runs where they know that somebody is in mental crisis. So maybe instead of investing in war material for PDs, we invest in a safe retirement for them. And then instead of sending a guy with a gun, we actually send a trained mental health professional. That's what I'm talking about. That's what I defined. And I think that's exactly what people want.”