For safer streets, treat mental illness before the crisis stage

Earlier this month, a man stabbed five people at Penn Station in Manhattan, in what witnesses described as a random attack.

Last month, a 21-year-old man opened fire outside of the White House.

Two months before that, three people were randomly slashed at Manhattan’s Grand Central Station.

Last year, a man stabbed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a train in North Carolina. 

All of these situations all had one thing in common: someone with a criminal history and a mental illness. These attacks, occurring in shared public spaces, drive fear and uncertainty about public safety solutions. The outrage is understandable. But the knee-jerk questions —  “Why were they let out?” “Why weren’t they locked up?” — are wrong. If you want change, you should be asking: “Why didn’t they get help?” 

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