(Carrollton, Georgia)—The Carrollton Police Department is pleased to announce that we have completed a pledge to improve our response to those with mental health conditions in our community.
The pledge is part of an initiative called the One Mind Campaign which was started by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. IACP is a professional association for law enforcement that provides training, technical assistance, and recruitment services. To join the One Mind Campaign, law enforcement agencies must pledge to implement four promising practices in a 12–36-month period to ensure successful interactions between police officers and persons with mental health conditions.
In the law enforcement community, a common focus has become those with mental health conditions. With some departments estimating that as many as 20% of calls for service are related to mental health challenges, it is negligent to not educate officers on how to best deal handle these situations. Chief Joel Richards made the decision to join the IACPÂ’s One Mind Campaign for those reasons and to also build rapport with the mental health community.
By completing the One Mind Pledge, we have established a sustainable partnership with Carroll County Mental Health Advocates, developed and implemented a model policy to address officersÂ’ interactions with those affected by mental health conditions, and ensured that all our officers have received mental health awareness training. Additionally, we have met the requirement of at least twenty percent of the department completing the more intensive 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) course. The curriculum includes education on various de-escalation techniques and live role-play scenarios of officers responding to persons who need mental health assistance.
We continue to be committed to this community and all its residents and visitors. Anytime we can educate ourselves to better respond to oneÂ’s needs and better the communication between our officers and the public, this community becomes a better place.
For more information about the One Mind Campaign or a list of all agencies who have taken the pledge, please visit the IACPÂ’s website at www.theiacp.org/projects/one-mind-campaign.
