CARMEL – Putnam County Government has filed its police reimaging report with the state, which includes a number of recommendations to improve its sheriff’s office operations.
Chief among them were ensuring a health professional assist when responding to mental health or substance abuse issues; de-escalation training; using dashboard and body cameras on all law enforcement officials while on duty; increasing the number of Spanish speaking officers; and increasing police transparency by publishing sheriff’ office policies online.
A recommendation to increase diversity in police departments requires a change in state civil service requirements and to that end, County Executive MaryEllen Odell forwarded the county plan to local state representatives with a request that they consider them.
Michael Piazza, Jr., the county commissioner of social services and mental health and a member of the policy review committee, said the report’s emphasis on training was essential.
“The lack of mobile psychiatric crisis intervention teams often results in calling on law enforcement to address a psychiatric problem,” he said. “While this has not occurred in Putnam, several of the high-profile incidents with bad outcomes that were the impetus for Executive Order 203 occurred because law enforcement was called to address a person in distress.”
He said the Putnam review panel report “emphasizes our dedication to maintaining the highest standards of crisis intervention training for our law enforcement community and for enhancing the coordination between the behavioral health community and law enforcement.”
