Helping all minds stay healthy

Manhattan: The loss of Saheed Vassell’s life is tragic, and New Yorkers are right to ask if their city is doing enough to support and treat their family members, friends and neighbors struggling with severe mental illness. In 2015, we launched Thrive NYC, the nation’s most comprehensive mental health program. The city is spending $300 million annually to help those in crisis.

Thousands of mental health crisis calls are received annually, and our first responders and the Health Department work closely together to help emotionally distressed people. More than 8,000 patrol officers are now trained in crisis intervention, and all 23,000 of our patrol officers will be trained in the next six years. Co-Response Teams pair mental health professionals with CIT-trained NYPD officers to respond to individuals who could pose a threat to themselves or others. Our Mobile Crisis Teams and Health and Engagement Assessment Teams (HEAT) are made up of health professionals, who are sent out when an individual is better suited for a health intervention.

Most mental health crises do not receive media coverage. City workers labor around the clock to prevent situations from escalating to crisis through programs like NYC Safe and Kendra’s Law.

NYC Safe, a first-of-its-kind program and $22 million investment annually, has connected hundreds of people who are seriously mentally ill to treatment. Kendra’s Law allows the city to get a court order to connect an individual to treatment who has previously resisted it. We’re connecting more people to treatment through Kendra’s Law than ever before, and are helping an average of nearly 1,800 people monthly.

It is our sacred responsibility to protect the lives of New Yorkers. And the reality is, that people with mental illness are far more likely to harm themselves than anyone else. The first opportunity to get help should not be an encounter with the police. That is why we’re establishing a new task force to examine ways to further improve the city’s interactions with people experiencing mental health crises.

First Lady Chirlane McCray

Moscow meddling I

Brooklyn: The U.S. and its allies launched a precision military strike against Syria’s capability to launch chemical weapons attacks against their own people. Russia calls for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to denounce these attacks. It is sad Russia backs a regime whose goal is to rule their people with violence. Great for the U.S. and its allies to take a firm stand against evil.

Joseph V. Comperchio

Moscow meddling II

Oceanside, L.I.: Russia called the attack on Syria an illegal assault on a nation’s government. This is the same Russia that attacked Ukraine and took by force the Crimean Peninsula. Russia reminds me of a Bible verse which states, “Why is it we can see the splinter in the other person’s eye, but cannot see the beam in our own?” Joseph Rebando

Stopping force with force

North Massapequa, L.I.: Voicer Amy Rosenfeld wants the U.S. to peacefully settle the Syrian gas attacks. Terrorists understand only one thing, terror. For terror to stop, you have to deliver more terror than was perpetrated. These people are taught from childhood to be terrorists. If one “sane” person had been in the room when the World Trade Center scheme was hatched, saying, if we do this, we will be wiped off the face of the Earth as if we never existed, I believe that would have given them pause to never complete that act.

Steven Malichek Seaford, L.I.: To all who questioned President Trump’s authority with Syria, the following is the federal law: “The War Powers Resolution requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and forbids armed forces from remaining for more than 60 days, with a further 30-day withdrawal period, without a congressional authorization for use of military force (AUMF) or a declaration of war by the United States.” George Lozynski

Only Trump gets bashed

Spotswood, N.J.: I notice most of the press did not criticize France or England for bombing Syria. They also had evidence of women and children being gassed to death. How could any human being not be against killing children? Deep hatred of President Trump is blinding people. This had to be done. We should all support the President. Tom Scott

No comparison

Brooklyn: How dare Jim Comey compare President Trump to Sammy (The Bull) Gravano? Comey should get on the phone and apologize immediately — to Sammy (The Bull) Gravano!

Dennis Middlebrooks

Trump’s limited view

Staten Island: Trump called Comey the “worst FBI director in history.” Of course, Trump’s knowledge of “history” relates to the latter half of the day before. We are so “lucky” to have a “smart” man like him (as he told us) as President. Jay Silberman

Jews and Poles both suffered

Ozone Park: I don’t know if Voicer Sam Katz has ever visited Auschwitz, but I have — twice. I went there to pay my respects to those who were murdered, and to tell them that I will never forget them. The vast majority of Poles were victims of the Nazis, targeted either for extermination or slavery. Were there Poles who collaborated with the Nazis? Yes, there were — this great disgrace happens in every war and in nearly every nation that is invaded, and those who took part in it have to answer to God for their crimes. But Katz cannot ignore the more than 31/2 million Poles who were murdered by the Nazis, many in the concentration camps located in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania and in Germany — those camps were built by the Nazis, not by the people who suffered Nazi occupation of their homeland. As an American of Polish descent, I can attest to the brutality of the Nazi regime that buried my grandfather’s nephew alive and crucified another in retaliation for their activity in the Polish underground. Elie Wiesel rightly stated that “not every victim was a Jew, but every Jew was a victim.” Millions of nonJews were also slaughtered, and they deserve to be remembered as well. Ann Rychlenski

Hot dog, NYC does it right

Manhattan: My colleagues and I wrote the April 13 Op-Ed, “Get processed meat out of our schools.” In researching this article, I read through dozens of lunch and breakfast menus from public schools around the country. I am happy to report that New York City’s menus were by far the healthiest of the ones I reviewed. And while many schools still serve hot dogs, New York City removed them long ago. That being said, it is time for New York City, and all schools across the country, to remove the remaining processed meat from their offering (such as bacon and sausage) to improve the health of our nation’s children.

Jennifer L. Pomeranz

Keep Judy Clark locked up

Lynbrook, L.I.: Voicer Prof. Gilda Zwerman supports parole for Judith Clark. I am a retired NYC Transit police sergeant and former student of Zwerman at Old Westbury and I disagree. MICHAEL APPLETON/MAYOR’S OFFICE Clark, and Herman Bell, have been convicted for taking the life of police officers, and Zwerman feels that Clark is rehabilitated and she has earned the right to be released. Why? Can those officers return to their lives? Can they embrace their families and enjoy their lives? No, because actions taken by Clark and Bell took them from their families and they have been punished accordingly. When they made decisions to kill police officers or assist with the crime of killing police officers, they were punished for their actions. Larry Lombardo

Buy American, or not

Bronx: How do you people justify overpaying for coffee or sunglasses or designer shoes, bags or cars, yet continue to purchase foreignmade products? You call yourself true-blue Americans. I call you hypocrites. John Cirolia

Wacky weather

Bronx: Went to Mets baseball game Saturday got a tan. I went back on Sunday to Mets game got pneumonia. Jimmy Durda

Don’t spoil the Jumble

Suffern, N.Y.: I really look forward to the Saturday TV Jumble, but can’t you find another place to print the answers? It’s really difficult not to see the answers when they are right alongside the puzzle, especially when they are in bold type. I remember years ago the answers were printed in the following week’s edition. Can’t you at least put them on another page? David Mathias