Police debut database on at-risk people

FORT SMITH — The Fort Smith Police Department launched its “vulnerable persons database” Monday.

The database is described in a department announcement as the next step in its “commitment to deescalation and getting mentally impaired and other at-risk individuals the help and ongoing assistance they need.” Under the directive of Police Chief Danny Baker, the department command staff established the crisis intervention unit in March. It went live on April 1.

“Since we established the crisis intervention unit, our department as a whole has been called to assist 160 suicidal individuals and 167 living with some form of mental impairment,” Baker said in a statement. “Unfortunately, 13 of our citizens have taken their lives since the first of the year, and we have another 20 unknown death investigations, many of which show indications of drug overdose.”

“This is not okay, and we are going to do everything in our power to get these people and their families the support they need before their loved ones become a statistic.”

The database, which is a voluntary service, will not be used to track criminal behavior, according to the department. Rather, it is to provide Fort Smith police officers quick access to information about a vulnerable person.

“The policy defines a vulnerable person as an individual who could be in need of community care services by reason of mental illness, developmental disability/delay, other disability, age, illness, or emotional disturbance and who is or may be unable to take care of or protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation,” the release states.

To participate in the database, individuals or their guardians are encouraged to complete a form on the department’s website or in person at 100 S. 10th St., and submit a recent picture of the vulnerable person.

The submission will be managed by the department and protected from public disclosure by health-confidentiality laws.