NEW YORK – A judge said Wednesday that he will not immediately stop New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ plans to force the mentally ill off the streets and undergo treatment.
In a written order, US District Judge Paul A. Crotty in Manhattan said there is currently no evidence that irreparable damage will likely occur before he rules on an application after further exploring the matter in the coming weeks.
On November 29, Adams announced that he wanted city police and doctors to more aggressively take people with serious mental illnesses off the streets and subways and treat them.
Advocates for people with mental illness want the plan stopped, saying police officers shouldn’t be the first to respond to those in need of medical treatment.
Individuals and groups, including New York Public Interest Lawyers and the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City, called on Crotty last week to order an immediate arrest.
In a hearing Monday, a city attorney said training on the new initiative had not yet begun for 30,000 first responders.
On Wednesday, Crotty set a timetable for discussions on the issue that will run through January.
