Cops are only one part of a larger system that more often treats the symptoms than the cause.

Last January, Peter began to doubt that anyone knew how to help his stepson. The hard lesson started in a bar, where police arrested the stepson, M, for hitting another man. The incident followed days and weeks of M flashing a psychosis that seemed to be worsening. Since he had arrived from Washington, D.C., for a visit in January, M’s behavior had caught the eyes of the neighbors who were growing intimidated by the young man down the street. The victim in the bar was disabled and, when M punched him, it triggered a seizure. Peter acknowledged that M was a threat to others and likely himself as well.