DENNIS–The Dennis Police Department announced this week that a pledge to improve the responses to those suffering from mental illnesses has been completed.
The One Mind Campaign was started by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and requires law enforcement departments to undertake training and implement changes within a 12 to 36 month time frame.
Some law enforcement agencies estimate that as many as 20% of all calls relate to mental health. Lieutenant Peter Benson said in many of those situations, the police are the “last line of defense.”
“We’re always going to go, we’re always going to respond, and we’re going to do what we can to help them get through that crisis,” Benson said.
The One Mind Campaign’s pledge indicates that police departments must establish a sustainable partnership with a mental health organization in the area. Benson detailed the relationship the department has built with Bay Cove Human Services.
“Our Community Services Unit works closely with them,” he continued.
“They actually do home visits for people after, maybe, they’ve been in crisis, just to check on them and offer them additional resources.”
The pledge also dictates that departments must develop and enact a policy to address interactions between officers and those with mental health issues, make sure all officers receive mental health awareness training, and commit to 20% of the agency completing crisis intervention training, a more intense course.
For more information on the One Mind Campaign, visit www.theiacp.org/onemindcampaign.
About Brendan Fitzpatrick
