Will Budgets Cuts to Mental Health Services lead to an Increase in Crime?

Murders are relatively rare in Washington compared to other crimes. One crime however gained a lot attention because of its gruesome nature, the Capitol Hill hatchet murder. This horrific crime was committed by a mentally ill patient while free on the streets. His family had tried numerous times to have him treated for his schizophrenia but to no avail.

There have been several other notable crimes in the Seattle area due to mentally ill patients that are on the street, without treatment. One murder that occurred back in 1997 when Seattle Fire Department captain Stanley Stevenson was murdered by a mentally ill man after the man had been released from court because he was incompetent to face a misdemeanor theft charge.

Mental Health Court

Because of the Stevenson murder, Seattle opened the Mental Health Court, which is one of the first courts in the United States to deal with mentally ill offenders. The underlying purpose of the court it to get these offenders much needed psychiatric treatment, rather than putting them in jail or releasing them back on the street. Thus far it has been a great success, where the offenders are receiving treatment and fewer crimes are committed after treatment.

Mental Health Services to be Elimianted due to Proposed Budget Cuts

What is so troubling is that despite it success and its obvious benefits to public safety and the mentally ill, there is a large round of budget cuts proposed. As it stands now, the Department of Social Services is proposing $84 million in mental health spending; including $65 million to be cut from community based mental health treatment. $8 million will be taken from Western State Hospital. This, incidentally, is the largest mental health facility in Washington. This will eliminate mental health services for 26,000 people in the state of Washington.

Saving Money at What Cost?

The irony here is that while the state tries to save money, it is not taking into account the cost of public safety and crime prevention. The programs that are being cut would actually save tax payers in the long run. Without these programs, mentally ill patients will be out on the streets, where they are apt to engage in criminal behavior. The Service Employees International Union called the hatchet murder just a sign of what is to come with more budget cuts on the way, calling the murder “siren warnings of a state mental healthcare safety net deepening crisis.”