I see people who appear to be mentally ill wandering about in Sebastopol, sometimes talking to themselves or yelling loudly to nobody in particular. This behavior is frightening to many people. What can be done about that?

January 7, 2025

Welfare and Institutions code Section 5150 permits qualified people such as law enforcement, physicians, and certain mental health professionals to place a temporary hold on individuals and detain them for transport to a mental health facility for evaluation for up to 72 hours. The standard to be able to place a hold on a person is that they must demonstrate behaviors that show they are a danger to themselves, or to other persons, or they are gravely disabled to the point they cannot care for themselves.

Being homeless, talking to oneself, yelling out loud, or being disheveled or out of sorts are behaviors that do not generally meet the legal definition to qualify for being placed on a hold. The standard for placing a person on a hold is strict because we are involuntarily taking somebody’s freedom away against their will.

Making threats to inflict harm on oneself or others, not having the capacity to remain nourished, to seek shelter from the elements even in a makeshift fashion, or the inability maintain basic hygienic care for oneself coupled with other behaviors are examples of what may qualify for placing a person on a temporary hold for evaluation.

Should you see an individual in our community that you believe should be checked on to determine their welfare, you can always call the Sebastopol Police Department at 707-829-4400. We are always more than willing to respond and check on a person to see if they need assistance or resources and to place on a 5150 hold if appropriate.

You can also call the Mobile Support Team without notifying the police and they will determine if a response from their mobile team is needed. They can be reached at 1-800-746-8181.

There is also a variety of information available regarding mental health and available resources on the website for the County of Sonoma, Behavioral Health Division which can be found here:

Behavioral Health Division (ca.gov)

The resources throughout the County are limited. This can lead to slow responses from the Mobile Support Team, and a lack of facilities to accommodate those placed in 5150 holds, and those needing other services. Additionally, if a person is exhibiting behaviors that are so disruptive that they are causing a blatant and ongoing disturbance, they may be subject to arrest. Should you believe that is the case, please call the Sebastopol Police Department at 707-829-4400. We will respond and if we observe the behavior we can arrest them.

Oftentimes however, once the person sees the police officer approaching, they stop the behavior. We will still make contact with the person causing the disturbance and explain to them how their behavior is being disruptive to the community and that many find that frightening. Another option is for the officer to accept a citizen’s arrest of the person if the complaining party wishes to participate in the citizen’s arrest process.

In any of these situations, we will also evaluate whether the person needs other resources or if the person needs to be placed on a temporary hold in lieu of an arrest.

I see people who appear to be mentally ill wandering about in Sebastopol, sometimes talking to themselves or yelling loudly to nobody in particular. This behavior is frightening to many people. What can be done about that?