Forum Held To Discuss Transport Of Mentally Ill

Washington County, Tennessee, Deputy Lt. Larry Denny has a story for every mental health transport he made last year. Thursday, he shared those stories with state leaders as part of a mental health forum hosted by Sheriff Ed Graybeal and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. In 2008, Washington County deputies drove 500 mentally ill patients to hospitals across the state. One of those patients was Lt. Denny’s niece.

“You’re trying to explain to her, you’re not being arrested, but you’re sitting there looking at a car and me in uniform or whatever officer is doing it, and pushing you into a car, when you came for help,” Denny said. “It really has caused her to have an ill feeling to law enforcement in general and I can’t say that I blame her.“

The forum was part of an effort by Sheriff Graybeal to urge state legislators to change an age-old law he feels is unfair to the mentally ill. The law, first put on the books back in the 1800’s, requires sheriff’s deputies to transport people who need mental help, including those who need routine mental evaluations.

“I believe firmly, if you have not committed a crime, you should never go in the back of a police car,” Sheriff Graybeal said. “Police cars are not made to be comfortable. They’re made to confine people. They’re made to have handcuffs on, They’re built so you can’t kick the windows out, so I don’t think you’d want to ride in there from here to Knoxville or anywhere else.“

Deputies say the logged 53,000 miles last year transporting patients to mental hospitals across the state. Sheriff Graybeal says since other hospital patients are not escorted by police, mental health patients should not be either.

“They should have the same rights as every other patient that goes in there,” Graybeal said.

To ensure that happens, Graybeal is asking leaders to change the state law so families can transport their loved ones instead of deputies. Tri-Cities legislators including Rep. Dale Ford, Rep. Jon Lundberg, Rep. Matthew Hill, Rep. David Hawk, Sen. Rusty Crowe, and Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey all say they’re willing to fight for the change. However, they can’t promise it will pass.

“It may be realistic, but I have learned after being in the legislature for 16 years that always something pops up that you don’t think about,” Ramsey said.