In the column appearing to the right of this editorial, writer Rich Lowry discusses how mental illness has become the day-to-day domain and routine of our law enforcement officers nationwide.

In addition to their day-to-day confrontation with crime and criminal suspects, police today must constantly ask themselves: Is this person mentally ill, and how should I respond?

Lowry recalls a case in Chicago and two in California about people with mental illnesses being killed in confrontations with police officers. His intent is to illustrate “our contemptible outsourcing of the severely mental ill to law enforcement.” The police, Lowry writes, “are our de facto front-line mental-health workers — ‘armed social workers’ in the pungent phrase of one observer — and jails are our de facto psychiatric hospital system.”

Here are a few local incidents that underscore Lowry’s point. Put yourself in a cop’s shoes and consider how you would respond to each of these incidents:

n A 36-year-old man was accused of trying to disarm a Butler police officer Nov. 7 inside the Marathon convenience store on South Main Street in Butler. It took five officers to arrest the 6-foot, 4-inch tall, 240-pound suspect, Matthew R. Fleeger of Butler after two Taser stun guns failed to incapacitate him, police said.

Fleeger was arraigned on felony charges of aggravated assault and attempting to disarm a police officer, a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest and a summary charge of criminal mischief.

n On the evening of June 6, 2014, an off-duty state police trooper, Brian Knirnschild fatally shot his neighbor, 25-year-old Kristopher “Kit” Barkus after Barkus, allegedly appearing to be carrying a handgun — in actuality it was an orange-tipped Airsoft toy gun — came to Knirnschild’s home in Butler Township.

Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger did not file criminal charges against Knirnschild. He said that under the Castle Doctrine, Knirnschild had a right to protect himself and his home.

Three weeks earlier, Barkus stood at Knirnschild’s door and asked the trooper to arrest him.

Barkus’ family has filed a federal lawsuit, alleging police violated the man’s and his family’s civil rights, knowing Burkus suffered from mental illness.

n On March 21, a Butler police officer responding to a noisy domestic disturbance came face to face with a man carrying a deer rifle inside an apartment in the 700 block of South Main Street. The armed suspect stood his ground even after repeatedly being told to put down the gun.

The 18-year-old suspect eventually dropped the rifle and was arrested. The rifle, it turned out, was not loaded.

n On the night of June 18, 2014, Michael H. Reid, 38, caused a head-on crash that killed himself and a mother of three on Route 68 in Forward Township. Toxicology reports showed Reid of Butler Township was over the legal limit for alcohol and he had an antidepressant and synthetic codeine in his body when he died. He also had a history of suicidal tendencies, authorities said.

Police say Reid was speeding — possibly traveling as much as 100 mph — when he drove into the oncoming lane and hit a Jeep Cherokee driven by Hannah Swigart.

These are just a few examples of incidents involving individuals in our community whose behavior led to violence or the treat of violence. The incidents underscore Lowry’s question: Why do the families of the severely mentally ill need to rely on the police for medical assistance?

We’ll let Lowry offer his own answers. Our only point is to emphasize that the problem of police having to act as social workers is as great here as it is anywhere.