Title
Consider and take action on a resolution authorizing the submission of a grant application to the Governor’s Office to seek funding for the State Crisis Intervention Grant Program to offset costs associated with equipping and training the department’s new Mental Health Unit and authorizing the acceptance of such a grant if awarded (Chief of Police)
Background:
If approved, this resolution will allow the submission of a grant proposal to the Governor’s Office to seek funding for the State Crisis Intervention Grant Program to offset costs associated with equipping and training the department’s new Mental Health Unit. Mental health-related calls for service are a growing area of police response in the United States, and League City is no exception.
In 2023, the League City Police Department had 775 total calls for service that required patrol response for a citizen in crisis: just over two a day, on average. Of those calls, 162 resulted in patrol officers completing an Emergency Detention Order (EDO): almost one every other day. This does not account for the number of times patrol offices were able to handle the call by other means, for example, having a family member take the victim to the hospital for a voluntary evaluation or a referral to a third-party mental health provider to follow up with evaluation and treatment.
As a result, the department has implemented a multi-faceted approach to the mental health issues facing our community. We have started training, and will continue to train, as many officers as possible to become certified Mental Health Officers. Using this group, our goal is to have as many certified officers as possible available across all four patrol shifts with a greater knowledge-base and skill set to effectively respond to citizens in crisis. A new Mental Health division has also been created within the department, with four personnel currently assigned and two additional personnel joining the division by the end of the year. ...
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