Pilot Project Begins: New Court Position to Promote Mental Health Treatment, Reduce Incarceration

An ICP Mental Health Working Group idea whose time has clearly come. Kudos to Poulsbo Mayor Erickson for running with the ball on this pilot program and Port Orchard Mayor Matthes for his early support. This program is a small step towards a big goal: getting people suffering from mental health disorders out of jail and connected to the help they need.

North Kitsap Sun coverage: Grant Goal: Mental Health Help, Not Jail

Video of Mayor Erickson's May 6 presentation about the program to the Poulsbo City Council (starts at 53:42).

Click here to read about the "Stepping Up Initiative," a national program to reduce the number of mentally ill people in county jails.

Body Cameras in Kitsap County-May 27 Forum

Public Forum: Police Body Cameras in Kitsap County

Wednesday May 27

3-5pm

Poulsbo City Hall

Police worn body cameras may soon be a fact of life for officers in Kitsap County. Two departments—Poulsbo and Bainbridge—already have programs in place, and the Department of Justice has just announced that millions of dollars will be available to promote camera adoption.  Advocates say that body-cams will improve officer performance, heighten police accountability, and reduce citizen/police complaints—but many questions remain about the cost and use of this technology.

Join us for a body camera forum to consider the costs and benefits of body camera programs in Kitsap County and two pressing policy questions: what should body camera policies look like in our local police departments and what kind of state law about camera use is needed?

Panelists include:

Abraham Alvarez, Product Manager, TASER’s Evidence.com

Representative Drew Hansen (D-Bainbridge Island), author of body camera bill HB 1917 (invited)

Pastor Richmond Johnson, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Bremerton

Judge Anne Levinson, Independent Auditor, Office of Professional Accountability, Seattle Police Department

James McMahan, Policy Director, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs

Al Townsend, Chief, Poulsbo Police Department

Kylie Purves, Prosecutor, City of Poulsbo

Sponsored by the City of Poulsbo and Islanders for Collaborative Policing

community event--all are welcome

CONFERENCE MATERIAL

Poulsbo police department body camera policy 

Bainbridge police department body camera policy

ICP's comments on Representative Hansen's state legislation--with link to legislation

Recommendations from the COPS office on body camera usage

ACLU's "model act" for police body cameras