In its “Shots” blog and on its “All Things Considered” program, NPR (5/9, Cohen) reports that 18 of 107 police officers in Fairfield, CT, have been “specifically trained to respond to mental health calls.” The officers are part of a mental-health crisis intervention program implemented in 2011. Across the US, only about 2,700 such programs exist, even though there are some 18,000 US law enforcement jurisdictions. On May 7, Connecticut legislators approved a measure “ensuring that all police in the state can get some kind of” mental-health crisis intervention training.
Related Links:
— “Mental Health 101: Program Helps Police Intervene In Crises,” Michael Cohen, National Public Radio, May 8, 2014.