New Officer Added To MPD Health & Human Services Division

From the City of Medford:

Posted on October 22, 2019

Mayor Stephanie M. Burke and the Medford Police Department in partnership with the Office of Prevention and Outreach, are pleased to announce a new officer has been added to the Health and Human Services Division of the Medford Police Department. A second full time Detective, Christopher Coughlin, will be joining Detective Rory Lockowitz in their effort to assist those suffering from mental illness, substance use disorders, and others in need of social services.

“It is often that the Officers of the Medford Police Department are called upon to intervene in crisis situations that are not seen as traditional law enforcement responsibilities. The Health and Human Services Detectives are there to reduce future crisis situations and reduce future harm,” said Chief Buckley.

In December of 2017, the Office of Prevention and Outreach secured a grant from the Department of Mental Health to fund a dedicated Officer to focus on jail diversion by connecting those suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders with the needed services throughout the community.

“The Medford Police Department and the Office of Prevention in Outreach have continuously collaborated to promote safety, health, and wellness through prevention, intervention, and recovery services throughout the City”, said Mayor Stephanie M. Burke

The Medford Police Department is committed to having 100% of their officers trained in Mental Health First Aid. This program is a skills-based training course which teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues. The curriculum recognizes the symptoms of common mental illnesses and substance use disorders; de-escalating crisis situations safely and initiating timely referrals to resources available in the community. Mental Health First Aid is listed in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. This is an eight (8) hour curriculum.

Additionally, the Medford Police Department is committed to training 100% of their officers in Crisis Intervention training. Crisis Intervention Teams or CIT create connections between law enforcement, mental health providers, hospital emergency services and individuals with mental illness and their families. By improving training and communication, officers can identify mental health resources for those in crisis. CIT also increases safety for those in crisis, our officers, and the community. This is a forty (40) hour curriculum.

In September of 2018, the Medford Police Department and the Office of Prevention and Outreach began one of the first HUB/CORE tables in the Commonwealth, following the lead of the City of Chelsea. This innovative collaboration is a weekly meeting between the Medford Police Department and various community stakeholders that service the City of Medford. These stakeholders work together to communicate information in order to support members of the community who are most at risk.

“This partnership is the future of a successful community-oriented law enforcement approach. This forward-thinking approach has equipped the women and men of the Medford Police Department with many new solutions to aiding that look who are in need,” said Chief of Police Jack D. Buckley.

Recently, Medford Police Department signed onto the multijurisdictional database of CIMS or Critical Incident Management System. CIMS is a software product developed to support countywide police led programs intending to document all overdose incidents within county jurisdictions, document all outreach attempts to individuals who have overdosed or are at-risk for overdose, and facilitate the transition of those experiencing drug overdoses to treatment to society. Additionally, the Medford Police Department is the first of our surrounding communities to utilize this very effective tool and will be leading the way for our neighbors to participate and collaborate.

This press release was produced by the City of Medford. The views expressed here are the author’s own.