U.S. law enforcement officers are increasingly the first responders to incidents involving people with mental illness, but often lack the training to appropriately deal with these already-charged situations. In the San Antonio Police Department, a special plainclothes unit is trained specifically to handle mental health calls. Shot over several weeks, A Different Kind of Force — Policing Mental Illness gained incredible access to a 10-person unit responding to mental health related calls. Unflinching, intimate, and visceral, A Different Kind of Force – Policing Mental Illness gives an insight into the complex relationships between those living with mental illness, their loved ones, and the police.
This is part of a longer documentary that was published with NBC Left Field, see the full film here.
Director/Cinematographer: Ed Ou
Director/Cinematographer: Kitra Cahana
Editor/Story Producer: Jonathan Ade
Music: William Ryan Fritch
Managing Editor: Bob Bikel
Executive Producer: Catherine Kim
Researcher: Chloe Tsang
Production Assistant: Julia Lee
Production Assistant: Emily Fleming
