The Middletown Police Department is continuing its training for officers to better respond to mental health calls. Officers have now completed an intense training program to assist them with these types of calls.
The training was part of the One Mind Campaign Pledge, which was offered by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. This is a national program that seeks to unite law enforcement, mental health organizations, and communities. The goal is for officers to be able to better identify those experiencing mental health issues and provide them with the help that they need.
The program included an eight-hour training program that taught officers how to safely and effectively provide mental health first aid. It also covered crisis intervention training, which showed officers how to best handle a situation where a person is having a mental health crisis.
According to Middletown Police Chief, Anthony Pesare, the department is proud of the work that its officers have done in completing the One Mind Campaign Pledge. This is an important step in continuing to improve the quality of service that the police department provides to the community.
The training program has also resulted in 12 officers completing a 40-hour training program in crisis response. This training, along with the support of Newport Mental Health services, allows officers to provide targeted assistance when needed.
The Middletown Police Department is committed to providing excellent service to all members of the community. The One Mind Campaign Pledge and the associated training program are part of that commitment. Officers are now equipped to handle these types of calls and to better support those experiencing mental health issues.
Read more on this from the Town of Middletown here.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
