Chesco Commissioners Recognize National Law Enforcement Day Monday

WEST CHESTER, PA —Chester County Commissioners Monday recognized the Crisis Intervention Team training program in celebration of National Law Enforcement Day.

National Law Enforcement Day provides an opportunity to thank law enforcement across the county or their service to the community.

“Because law enforcement personnel have vital responsibilities as front-line caretakers in assessing and managing offenders with mental illness, the training provides them with the skills to manage crises,” County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline said in a combined statement.

The county’s Department of Mental Health/Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities has worked with law enforcement for five years to teach law enforcement officers how to deal with individuals with mental health issues.

The training provides the tools and knowledge to de-escalate situations safely and connect people to treatment.

Susanne Fink, Mental Health Diversion Specialist/Certified in crisis intervention training, said it is essential for officers to have the tools and skillset to deal with people in the midst of a mental health crisis in order to get them the proper treatment – which often is not in a jail cell.

A total of 329 officers and first responders have gone through the training in Chester County including officers from municipal police departments and the Pennsylvania state police, Chester County detectives, corrections officers, deputy sheriffs, 9-1-1 dispatchers and staff from the Department of Adult Probation and Veterans Affairs; and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) from across the county.

The department offers 40-hours of mental health training to law enforcement twice a year.