With many hospitals closing over the last decade, and existing facilities usually near or at capacity, local jails have inherited a steady increase of mentally ill suspects. Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal says more such people are now on the streets committing mostly low-level crimes, but sometimes violent ones….

click to listen to Sheriff Royal

Royal says many mentally ill inmates can be transferred by the courts for treatment at outpatient facilities. But those with more serious problems are very difficult to find a more appropriate placement outside a jail, either while awaiting prosecution, or after prosecution. And it’s not unique to Nevada County…

click to listen to Sheriff Royal

But Royal says the higher number of incidents involving mentally ill people has not actually increased the overall crime rate, that the trend has been stable, or has declined, statewide. He says the state has been trying to identify more funding to deal with the problem but doesn’t know if there’s been much success.