Horrific stabbing spree in Manhattan shows how politicians still wont lock up the dangerous mentally ill
Monday morning, after nearly two weeks of buzz about how the recent election heralded a new era in American politics, New Yorkers were treated to a painful reminder of how much life here hasn’t changed.Three people were stabbed to death in separate incidents across Manhattan.The perpetrator was a total stranger to each victim and the attacks unprovoked.The man who has reportedly confessed to the murders is named Ramon Rivera, a resident of the Bellevue Men’s Shelter.
His history of arrests, incarceration and psychiatric hospitalization dates back two decades.This was a “ticking time bomb” case, to borrow a phrase from our late colleague DJ Jaffe.We have a perp whose advancing mental deterioration and participation in criminal activities of mounting seriousness all unfolded in full view of mental-health and criminal-justice professionals.And yet, for reasons best known to themselves, those professionals declined to intervene to keep this individual off the street.Rivera had been arrested just weeks ago — on the same day that he left Rikers after serving eight months’ time for third-degree burglary and third-degree assault.But a judge still released Rivera without bail.This despite an history of violence both extensive and recent, including a May assault on a corrections officer during Rivera’s last sentence while he was being treated in Bellevue’s psychiatric ward.For some people, the problem is that they are bad, others that they mad.
With some perpetrators, the problems started so long ago it’s hard to say what the original “root cause” of their violence was.Another term typically applied to these fatal incidents is “preventable tragedy.” They were preventable insofar as they wouldn’t have happened had their perpetrator been confined to jail awaiting trial or to an inpatient psychiatric hospital setting.Morning Report and Evening Update: Your source for today's top stories Please provide a valid email address....