More mental illness training needed
SALINAS >> The Monterey County Civil Grand Jury released a report Tuesday recommending a half dozen improvements that law enforcement and first responders could make to better deal with people suffering from mental illness or are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The 19-page report did not have any significant criticisms of the way in which law enforcement in combination with other crisis response team members handled interacting with people experiencing behavioral instability.
The jury reviewed the type of crisis intervention training law enforcement officers receive, focusing on two of the county's largest law enforcement agencies: the Salinas Police Department and the Monterey County Sheriff's Office. The jury reviewed how these departments work with mental health professionals from Monterey County's Department of Behavioral Health when responding to crisis situations.
The report focuses on increasing training so officers and deputies can respond more effectively and safely on calls involving people experiencing a mental health crisis.
“It reduces escalation and the possible use of force, and in some cases costly litigation. In addition, Monterey County and many municipalities have Mobile Crisis Response Teams comprised of trained mental health professionals,” the report reads. “Sometimes these calls result in the hospitalization or incarceration of the individual, or in tragedy, either for the individual or the responding officer.”
There have been several tragedies involving police encounters with mentally ill individuals. In 2014 Salinas Police shot and killed a mentally ill man who was waiving gardening shears at officers. And in 2019 Salinas Police fired 18 times on 20-year-old Brenda Rodriguez, who was wielding a replica gun inside her vehicle, killing her.
In body camera footage, Rodriguez showed signs of psychosis, including delusions, paranoia, hallucinating voices and depression, according to the Monterey County District Attorney's Office.
Responding to such calls is common. Studies suggest that 15% to 37% of police calls involve a mental health crisis, substance abuse issues or other situations where immediate intervention is needed, the grand jury noted. Specially trained officers that are part of a Crisis Intervention Team can be deployed when 911 call indicate a mental health crisis.
Salinas Police officers respond daily to situations that result in a person in crisis being transported to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation that may result in an involuntary 72-hour hold, according to the jury report.
In 2022, 510 individuals were taken to the hospital for an evaluation by Salinas police. During
the first 10 months of 2023, 369 individuals were taken to the hospital. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office classified 98 of its calls as involuntary-hold cases in 2022 and 76 in 2023.
The Monterey County Behavioral Health bureau provides an umbrella of emergency mental health support. There is a mobile response team available for children and young adults up to the age of 21. For a list of all support services, see https://shorturl.at/gtGP2.
The jury suggested that crisis responses would benefit from providing short, in-service intervention training sessions for first responders throughout the year in addition to the more formal 40-hour training that is only offered once or twice a year to a limited number of participants.
There are positive models for how a coordinated effort can generate positive outcomes for people in a mental health crisis. The Monterey Police Department in 2020 added a mental health provider to an existing unit called the Monterey Multidisciplinary Outreach Team, or MDOT.
The team provides support for homeless people who may be in crisis. Homelessness often goes hand in hand with mental illness or drug and alcohol addiction.
Monterey police Lt. Jake Pinkas, who in 2020 headed up the MDOT team, said it's not uncommon for police officers to make 200, 300 or more contacts with homeless individuals who end up being arrested or taken to a hospital emergency room.
“That doesn't solve anything,” Pinkas told the Monterey Herald at the time. “It doesn't address the underlying issues of addiction, mental illness or joblessness. Homelessness is a societal issue that calls on the police department to solve. But homelessness is not a crime.”
The Salinas Police Department and the Sheriff's Office will evaluate the recommendations and develop responses. They can either agree with the jury and implement courses of actions or disagree with the findings and take no action.