Police need the resources to de-escalate situations and prevent tragedies
Re “When help for mentally ill turns deadly” (Page A1, June 4): Police are routinely called when people experience behavioral health crises, even if they haven’t committed a crime. It’s essential that we equip police officers with the resources to de-escalate situations and prevent more tragedies.
Massachusetts has been a leader in improving law enforcement’s response to behavioral health crises. In 2002, the Framingham Police Department acknowledged that it lacked proper training and resources to provide adequate support for people in distress. One year later, the Framingham police co-response program was established. This innovative program recruited clinicians to ride alongside officers to service calls.
In 2007, the Department of Mental Health began funding jail and arrest diversion programs, and the agency supports co-response, Crisis Intervention Team training, and related initiatives statewide. Last year, William James College introduced a graduate certificate in crisis response and behavioral health, which provides education, training, and coaching to police officers and clinicians from across Massachusetts.
The co-response model reduces arrests, improves officers’ attitudes, and diverts unnecessary use of emergency resources. Massachusetts must continue to invest in co-response for the betterment of our communities.
Sarah E. Abbott
Associate professor
Director, Center for Crisis Response and Behavioral Health
William James College
Newton
More communities are employing alternatives to law enforcement
In their front-page article, Dugan Arnett and Laura Crimaldi reported on the high frequency of shootings when armed police are sent to situations in which a person is experiencing a mental health crisis. As they noted, in the past 30 years, beginning with the CAHOOTS program (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) in Eugene, Ore., a few cities have created safer alternatives. For instance, Durham, N.C., launched its HEART program (Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Team) just under a year ago. According to figures on the program’s website, in none of almost 3,000 responses to non-felony emergencies was there a need to involve the police, and there were no injuries to responders.
In Massachusetts, the town of Amherst recently introduced an emergency non-law-enforcement response to non-felony situations, and the city of Cambridge is considering such a move. Other cities, such as Northampton, plan to add similar services. To encourage the creation of additional programs, state Representative Lindsay Sabadosa and Senator Paul Mark have introduced An Act to Create Equitable Approaches to Public Health. This measure would provide state financial support for new local programs. The evidence suggests that passage of this bill would improve public health and safety.
Henry H. Wortis
Cambridge