The American Psychiatric Association noted that police are also more likely to use excessive force when they interact with unhoused people with mental illness. Even when “well-intentioned law enforcement responders” respond to calls for help, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the situations often escalate due to “the presence of police vehicles and armed officers that generate anxiety.”

More than one-fifth of people experiencing homelessness currently have a serious mental illness like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, and the US Department of Justice has found that “the prevalence of unmet behavioral health needs” is a key driver in why “people who experience homelessness tend to have frequent (and often repeat) interactions with law enforcement.”