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

Douglas M. Ostling Act--passed!

Washington State now has law in place that mandates at least eight hour of crisis intervention training for all new officers going through basic training--and a two hour training course as part of annual training requirements. And the state police academy has been told to "make efforts" to give enhanced CIT training to at least 25% of patrol officers.

Bill and Joyce Ostling turned their personal tragedy into something positive for residents and police throughout the state. High praise to them, Senator Rolfes, and Representative Appleton for their support of this important legislation.

How much would you pay to change the culture of policing? How about 15k?

If you want to change policing, change the way police respond to people with behavioral health issues. Policing skills learned in the crisis intervention training context--de-escalation, communication, strategic thinking, collaboration--are exactly the skills many of us want to see our officers use more of when dealing with the general population.

So how much does it cost to change a culture? More specifically, how much does it cost to train most officers in Kitsap County in at least some basic CIT skills, and encourage more interest in this style of policing? 

In early 2014, the estimate was 333k. That's the amount the Bremerton Police Department requested to provide all officers in the county with some level of CIT training.

In late 2014, the estimate was 117k. That's the amount the County Commissioners approved to get Bremerton started on its program.

Now it's 2015 and we know the answer is far less than that. According to Poulsbo Officer Dave Shurick, who has taken the lead on CIT training for the county, this is what has been done, over the past ten months or so, with less than 16k:

-175 road deputies and officers have been trained in the 8 hour CIT course and 30 officers have received 40-hour CIT training.  

-23 Crisis Intervention Officers (CIO's) have been appointed by law enforcement agencies.

-Cencom/911 has been integrated into crisis response.  All CIO's on the road at any given time are seen on the Mobile Communication Terminal with a touch of a button.  Their train-the-trainer training is around the corner and 911 CIT will be integrated into their basic call taker/dispatcher training.

-Where there were less than full trust amongst county agencies in the past, we are now seeing multi-agency cooperation and collaboration. Representatives from Harrison Hospital, Kitsap Mental Health, NAMI and ICP sit with Crisis Intervention Officers at their meetings and discuss issues and best practices.  

Now: some of the reason so much progress has been made with so little money is because Officer Shurick--and many other officers in the CIO program--have done more with less and been extremely restrained with taxpayer money. And, of course, the CIO program should be expanded, and we have yet to give CIT training to every officer in Kitsap County. 

But the larger point remains: big changes in policing can be made with a relatively small amount of money. Culture change depends on police leadership, dedicated officers, and people outside of police departments who want to make a difference. Our thanks go out to all of them.

Getting Closer: Bainbridge Island City Council Proposes Public Safety Committee

At a study session on April 8, the Bainbridge Island City Council affirmed its commitment to police oversight. An ad hoc committee appointed to consider the topic recommended that a Public Safety Committee be established and filled by councilmembers serving on a rotating basis. 

Islanders for Collaborative Policing fully supports the proposal to create a Public Safety Committee.  We are appreciative of Council's interest in creating a forum where policing issues can be considered and problems discussed.

In the spirit of moving things forward, we would like to offer a few recommendations.

First, we believe that the City Council/Public Safety Committee should issue a clear statement regarding its purview. There appears to be some confusion about the kind of policing issues Council can and should consider under our city manager form of government. It would be useful for the PSC to clarify expectations by articulating its scope of authority.

Second, we approve the PSC’s role, as described in your proposal, for “advis(ing) the Chief of Police and the City Manager on key police issues.” To this end, we believe the PSC should:

-Conduct meetings that are open to the public and in which public comment is welcome. A key source of information about policing concerns on Bainbridge Island is from the community.

-Take advantage of access to a recognized authority on policing issues. We support the suggestion that Council utilize a representative from WASPC’s “loaned executive” program, at least on an occasional basis.

-Obtain specific information from the police department about key indicators. Chief Hamner’s 2014 recommendation includes a useful list of items that might be reviewed on an ongoing basis: specific areas of department policy, particularly in areas of high interest to the public (complaint processing, use of force, mental health response, body cameras), officer training, complaint summaries, state accreditation standards, hiring practices, community outreach programs. We also would like to see the PSC to monitor the handling of officer discipline.

-Solicit information from people whose volunteer or professional roles give them meaningful experience with the BIPD, and who may offer perspective on the department’s operations.  For instance, feedback from the Civil Service Commission, other public safety organizations, the Municipal Judge, and school district/fire department personnel might be useful to the Committee.


Finally, the PSC, as described, recommends a day of training at the BIPD for participating council members. We recommend that PSC members also spend (at least) a day with police oversight professionals to get a better understanding of their orientation.

New body camera bill, new ICP position

In February, 23^rd Legislative District Representative and Bainbridge resident Drew Hansen introduced a state police body camera bill that many people, including board members at ICP, found objectionable. The motivations behind HB 1917 were great—get more police officers wearing body cameras, protect the privacy of people filmed in police encounters—but the results were pretty awful. The original bill dramatically limited public access to police recordings, did away with the consent requirement to record, and would have permitted local police departments to have camera programs without any rules or requirements.  


If you don’t succeed, try try again. Instead of digging in his heels when hit with criticism about his bill, Rep. Hansen made some changes. A new bill was put forward as a potential amendment, and may be considered by the House as early as this week. It’s a vast improvement. The new bill:

-guarantees that people involved in police-filmed incidents, oversight agencies, and the general public have access to police cam footage (people directly involved in incidents don’t have to pay for requests; the public may have to pay for costs connected to redaction)

-defines some things that are private, and not available to the public (footage taken in someone’s home, footage of nudity, footage taken of a minor)

-ensures that police departments using body cameras have some basic policies in place (like rules controlling when cameras are turned on or off)

-puts requirements in place that make sweeping, open ended requests for footage near-impossible (requesters need to know something about recordings before they are able to request them—the officer’s name, or the name of someone involved, or a date or case number)

-contains provisions to protect people who bring complaints and/or whistleblowers

-finally, the new bill creates a task force to consider the law’s effects, and sunsets much of the bill in two years. This increases the odds that problems can be identified and remedied.

ICP commends Rep. Hansen for being open to criticism, and flexible in his approach. We support the increased use of police body cameras--and his amended bill.

 The Amended Bill is referred to as striking amendment H2247 and is available here

ICP Letter to the House Public Safety Committee in Support of the "Douglas M. Ostling Act"--Statewide Crisis Intervention Training

Dear Representatives Orwell, Hayes, Klippert, and Goodman:

When a police officer encounters a person in mental or behavioral crisis, the outcome can be awful or inspiring. We all know horrible stories about officers killing people with mental illness because the person in crisis acted erratically or failed to obey commands. But we know, from working with officers in Kitsap County, that police with crisis intervention training are better prepared and often de-escalate frightening situations, keeping confused and agitated people safe while protecting those around them.

We also know, from working with police in our county, that CIT-trained officers do more than stabilize scary situations. We are proud to know officers who provide comfort to people tortured by their mental conditions, counsel family members desperate for advice, and take personal interest in finding people assistance. At a time when the news is focused on officer use of force across the country, it’s worth acknowledging that many police officers use their intelligence and their training to help people in need, and resolve incredibly difficult situations every day.

Will a few hours of state mandated CIT training eliminate tragic outcomes when police encounter people suffering from mental illness? It would be foolish to think so. But the new training requirements will make good outcomes more likely.

As importantly, passing SB 5311 sends an important signal—both to the Criminal Justice Training Center and to police agencies across the state—that policing in Washington is about helping people as well as promoting public safety. We support SB 5311 because we support efforts—promoted by CJTC’s Executive Director Sue Rahr--to promote a “guardian” style of policing. SB 5311 will improve police response to mental illness, and, in doing so, it will improve overall police performance and enhance the safety of Washington citizens. The state legislature has the opportunity, with this law, to remind police and the public that policing is a humane, service-oriented profession. We strongly encourage you to support SB 5311 when it comes before the Public Safety Committee tomorrow.

Respectfully,

Scott Anderson
Kent Bridwell
Kim Hendrickson
Dennis Tierney
Board Members, Islanders for Collaborative Policing

Information about the Douglas M. Ostling Act/SB 5311 here.

Results of Officer Survey Released

In January and February, ICP surveyed police officers throughout Kitsap County. Our goals were to get a better sense of how often police encounter people with mental and behavioral health issues, to gauge how new mental health initiatives are being received by front line officers, and to find out what new programs and resources officers think are most needed to help people suffering from mental illness.

The results? A vast majority of officers (67%) think a crisis triage center is the thing most needed, right now, to help people suffering from acute mental illness. 71% tell us that their interaction with people with mental/behavioral issues has increased in the last year. And there is overwhelming support for the new, county wide, Crisis Intervention Officer program which kicked off last year.

See the full results here

ICP Opposes Shortsighted Body Cam Bill

A few months ago, President Obama expressed strong support for police body cameras, and asked Congress to fund local camera programs. This week, he took a different approach, talking about the problems that arise when cameras are used and cautioning the public not to expect too much from developments in this area. The Community Police Commission in Seattle has aso modified its thinking on the issue, first supporting a pilot program for Seattle police officers and now advising against the broader adoption of cameras by the SPD ("the issues are complex, the CPC explains, and "there is a need to engage our communities before rushing to a final position").

With these concerns in mind, the Board of ICP opposes House Bill 1917. This bill was written to encourage more police departments to use body cameras by changing the Public Records Act to dramatically limit who gets to see camera footage. If this law passes, police departments would have near-complete discretion over who can, and can't, look at recordings. The right to view would be restricted to those directly involved in an incident and those tenacious enough to obtain access by court order. 

 We agree: a new state law is needed to protect the privacy of those who are recorded in police encounters. But HB 1917 goes too far. We urge our state representatives to vote against this bill and find a better way to balance privacy and accountability interests.

Save the date: ICP forum on police body cameras coming in May

Details to follow.

ICP Mental Health Working Group Discusses Crisis Triage Center, Conditions for Mentally Ill Inmates at the County Jail

Coverage from the Kitsap Sun

Information about the working group's members and mission here

Survey results about our goals for 2015 here

2014: Year in Review

It’s been a horrible year for American policing, with story after story in the national news about officer-involved shootings, police militarization, anti-police demonstrations and officers becoming the targets of violence. We are fortunate to live in a community where police use of force is rare, and police/community relations are respectful. But good policing—like all good government—is not something to take for granted. It requires an ongoing effort by many people, not simply a city manager or a police chief. Islanders for Collaborative Policing was formed, three years ago, to encourage Bainbridge residents to be more involved and informed about local policing. We operate under a few core beliefs:

1) Policing should be a profession grounded in public service and compassion. We favor what Sue Rahr, Director of the Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission, calls a “guardian” style of policing.

2) Policing should involve meaningful collaboration between officers and the community they serve.

3) Police accountability measures are proven methods to continuously improve policing. Citizen oversight is something progressive communities across the country embrace: it helps identify problems early, enhances department professionalism, and builds trust in police operations.

4) Bainbridge Island is a progressive community that desires a department of public safety professionals that are committed to ongoing and continuous improvement.

5) There are costs involved in maintaining the quality of police service we espouse. It is understood that exceptional law enforcement does not come cheaply, and we support adequate funding for officer training, recruitment, evaluation, and oversight—and police salaries that reward performance and encourage extended loyalty.

We’ve been busy, this year, taking action in support of these beliefs. Here’s a quick recap of our 2014 efforts and accomplishments.

Officer orientation/guardian policing. We know, from talking to local officers, that a significant amount of their time is spent in situations involving people with severe and unmanaged mental illness. These interactions often involve people in crisis, and they can be extremely dangerous. Our main focus, in 2014, was to improve police response in these crisis situations. Our goal is to have officers—whenever possible—treat people with mental illness humanely, and to reduce the use of force in crisis situations. To that end we:

… worked closely with police chiefs throughout the county to launch a crisis intervention officer program. The aim of this program is to have at least one highly trained CIO in each law enforcement department in Kitsap County—both to help with on the ground situations and to serve as a community resource. (The thinking, here, is if officers establish relationships with parents and caregivers before a crisis occurs, it will increase the probability of a peaceful outcome when it does.) We assembled caregivers, first responders, government officials and mental health providers throughout the year to help develop aspects of this program, and were especially proud to join in hosting the official CIO program launch in July (together with the Poulsbo and Bremerton police departments).

… have worked to create more resources and options for officers in the field. Police can not respond humanely to people with mental illness unless they have the tools to do so. To that end, we worked with law enforcement to encourage information sharing among first responders. We worked with the BIPD to develop a pamphlet about county mental health resources. We advocated and built support for a new crisis triage center in Kitsap County that will serve as an alternative to jail for some mentally ill offenders. And we made preliminary efforts to create the position of a mental health advocate to help mentally ill defendants in the criminal justice system.

The service or guardian approach, of course, is not restricted to one aspect of police work. We worked with Chief Hamner and the city’s civil service commission, earlier this year, to identify the character traits necessary for guardian policing—compassion, communication skills, community orientation—and to favor candidates who have these desired attributes during the officer hiring process.

Police/Community Collaboration. ICP held quarterly mental health working group meetings, in 2014, to encourage communication between public officials, county law enforcement personnel, mental health professionals, mental health advocates, social service providers, fire department personnel, and school district personnel about mental health issues. These meetings have become important platforms to build support for new initiatives and to promote police/community collaboration. Membership in this group has more than doubled this year.

Accountability Measures. ICP advocated, throughout 2014, for some form of local police oversight, not because we are distrustful of the BIPD, but because we think our community will benefit from our police department receiving citizen input and attention. We have urged the City Council to think about an oversight board as a body that suggests improvements in policing policies and priorities—not simply one that reviews officer complaints. Thanks to ICP’s efforts, an ordinance that would have given the Chief a controlling leadership role on an oversight committee was withdrawn, and City Council affirmed the importance of such a body’s independence. A Council ad-hoc committee was formed, in September, to consider next steps, and what form police oversight on the Island should take.

Looking ahead. It’s been a productive year for ICP but there is still much work to do. High among our goals for 2015 are to see an oversight entity created, a crisis triage center established, and an even more robust crisis intervention officer program in place. We are grateful for the community support our efforts have received—and encourage more of our neighbors to get involved in our efforts.

Best wishes for a happy 2015 from the ICP Board,

Scott Anderson
Kent Bridwell
Kim Hendrickson
Dennis Tierney

Oversight Update: City Council Steps In

After considering, and rejecting, the second poorly thought out police oversight proposal from the City Manager and Police Chief (see ICP's summary here), Council formed its own ad-hoc committee, at last week's meeting, to get the ball rolling on a police committee that will discuss policing issues, promote police/community communication, and, in the words of one councilmember, serve as an "early warning system." The three members of the ad-hoc committee are Val Tollefson, David Ward, and Roger Townsend.

Many Islanders wrote to Council, in recent days, to stress the importance of an oversight entity that is independent of the police department and transparent in its operations. Thanks to their efforts, and Council's willingness to step up and address the issue, we're finally moving in the right direction.

Oversight Ordinance Introduced and Pulled: What Happened?

Since 2012, Islanders for Collaborative Policing has been urging the creation of a police oversight group on Bainbridge Island. Our belief is that an independent oversight group will promote community trust in the Bainbridge Island Police Department. The founding of an oversight group was among the principal recommendations of Police consultant, Michael Pendleton, in his 2013 city-commissioned report. Every candidate running for public office on Bainbridge in 2013 expressed support for this concept. Likewise, favorable comments for the idea have been voiced by our Chief of Police, the City Manger and the Police Guild.

A proposed ordinance to create a “Police Citizen Advisory Board” was introduced to City Council on Monday night. It then pulled, by the City Manager, partly in light of our objections. What happened?

The proposed ordinance has many problems, but here are the most significant.

All of the Board’s duties are defined as reactive, initiated by complaints about police actions or conduct. In other words, the Board would have no proactive role. Its members would not be authorized to ask their own questions about police policies or procedures, or conduct their own policy discussions.

The Board’s function would be to “investigate” such complaints, but it is not provided with its own professional staff to assist it. Nor would the Board enjoy any real independence in carrying out its investigative role. The investigation of police complaints is an activity requiring both skill and experience. If volunteer citizens are to be involved in the complaint process, we’d rather see them have an auditing role.

Lastly, the proposed ordinance creates a number of procedural obstacles that will hinder and discourage people who wish to lodge complaints. There is a short time limit to file a complaint. There are no provisions for anonymous or third party complaints. Complaints can not be filed by people who are taking civil action against the department, and/or who are subject to criminal charges.

During Monday’s discussion, several Councilmembers brought up their own concerns, including the lack of any requirement that the new Board report to City Council (or, we might add, to the public).

ICP supports a Citizen Advisory Board that has broad authority to consider police policies and practice. It should encourage community feedback, rather than making it difficult. If this Board has the authority to investigate or review complaints, it must have the resources to do so in a professional, independent way. 

ICP has always envisioned an oversight entity whose charter is to focus on the continuous improvement of our police services and proactively suggest solutions to identified problems. We hope a modified ordinance comes back to Council quickly. And we hope Council will continue to move things forward in the right direction.

Prosecutor Candidates Talk Mental Illness

Does the Kitsap prosecutor have a role to play in the county’s mental and behavioral health system? Yes, and it’s significant. We know, from talking to Kitsap police officers, that encounters between police and people suffering from mental illness and/or substance abuse are depressingly frequent. When dealing with a low-level arrest, the prosecutor has tremendous discretion in deciding how to handle the case so as to achieve the best possible result for those concerned; the police, the courts, the jails, the person arrested and the public. Essentially, this involves choosing whether to pursue punishment or treatment.

Because such decisions are so important, Islanders for Collaborative Policing and NAMI-Kitsap co-hosted a forum on July 17 to hear from candidates for the office of prosecutor. The candidates were asked to talk about issues concerning criminal justice, mental illness, and drug dependency. Over fifty people attended, including judges, city councilmembers, and police chiefs. Interestingly, of the questions and comments voiced by attendees, nearly all were on the topic of mental illness. There is clearly a great deal of community interest in how the prosecutor’s office can impact and improve the system for dealing with these problems.

Specifics. Each of the candidates—incumbent Russ Hauge and challengers Bruce Danielson, Tina Robinson, and Bob Scales—agreed that there are serious flaws in the way mentally ill people are handled in the criminal justice system. Three of the candidates—Hauge, Robinson and Scales—suggested that there has been too much of an emphasis on criminalization, and that more and better use of treatment/diversion options are needed. (According to the Treatment Advocacy Center, the number of seriously mentally ill people in prison and jail, nationwide, exceeds the number in state psychiatric hospitals ten-fold.)

Russ Hauge stated, unequivocally, that there are too many mentally ill people in jail. He mentioned his efforts to divert low-level drug addicts from jail to treatment, explaining “we can’t arrest our way [out of dealing with behavioral problems].” He discussed his enthusiastic support of a new crisis triage center (funded by the MIDD tax) as an alternative to incarceration. He stressed his strong relationship with law enforcement, his support of the new crisis intervention officer program, and the need for more sharing of information among police agencies and personnel to improve their response to people in crisis. He also supports state legislation that would shield some personal information in police databases from public record requests.

Bruce Danielson articulated his belief that increased police training and dedicated staff at the prosecutors’ office are needed for better mental health response. He suggested that adequate systems and services are already in place to properly handle mentally ill defendants, but are not being effectively utilized. He expressed doubts about the utility of either specialized courts or information sharing by law enforcement to better deal with criminal behavior associated with mental health problems.

Tina Robinson said she has “more questions than answers” regarding mental health issues, but assures that she’s committed to working with agencies serving the mentally ill, as well as their parents and caregivers. She expressed concern about neighborhoods being “terrorized” by mentally ill individuals. She also expressed an interest in seeing more treatment options made available, such as civil commitment laws that would lower the threshold for mandatory treatment. She supports the creation of a court advocate to assist defendants with mental health issues, similar to existing domestic violence advocates.

Bob Scales talked about his support for a pre-booking diversion program in Seattle (called LEAD), and suggested it could be a model for working with people with behavioral health problems in Kitsap County. (LEAD is a privately funded program that allows police to redirect low-level drug offenders to community-based services instead of jail and prosecution.) He described the prosecutor’s role as an advocate who “breaks down barriers” and pledged to promote private/public partnerships around mental health issues. He also mentioned his interest in crime prevention, citing his support for a state law banning gun possession by people who have previously been involuntarily committed for mental health treatment.

ICP is not endorsing any of the candidates at this point, but we are watching the race with considerable interest. We will follow up with more specific questions for remaining candidates after the primary election.

July Events

Mark your calendars for two events this month that will explore how law enforcement can best respond when dealing with issues of mental illness in the community. This Thursday, July 17, ICP and NAMI-Kitsap are holding a pre-election forum at the Bainbridge Island Waterfront Center (370 Brien Drive) featuring all four candidates for County Prosecutor. Event time 5pm to 6:30pm. The focus of this event is on how people afflicted with mental health and drug dependency issues are handled in the criminal justice system-and how the prosecutor can improve outcomes in this area. (If you miss this event, a second forum for prosecutor candidates organized by the municipal court will be held on July 29.) 

The second program will be a public introduction to the new Crisis Intervention Officers appointed throughout Kitsap County.   This event will be held at Poulsbo City Hall on Wednesday, July 30, from 3:00 to 4:30 pm., and is jointly sponsored by ICP, NAMI-Kitsap, the Bremerton Police Department, the Poulsbo Police Department, and the Kitsap Vulnerable Adult Task Force.  ICP has been working with Kitsap law enforcement for some time to get this program off the ground, and we are very pleased to be a part of this public introduction.  The new CIO's will talk about crisis response, community partnerships, and how police response to mental illness is being coordinated across the County.

Good Developments, Unfinished Business

It's been a year now since Matt Hamner became the Chief of BIPD, and local papers have done a great job highlighting his successes. Much praise is due to the Chief for his assigning priority to community relations, and we're particularly pleased that he has reinvigorated the bike patrol program, worked with the Civil Service Commission to improve the police hiring process, emphasized youth outreach, and has joined other Kitsap County police departments by appointing a crisis intervention officer. These advances are all in keeping with ideas and recommendations that ICP has been advocating since its inception.

Two years ago, ICP assembled a group of citizens to discuss a history of poor relations between our community and police department, and to develop ideas for alleviating this problem.  It is most gratifying to see so many of our recommendations now being realized. We wish to thank the many people who participated in our "Citizens' Committee" and who contributed so much toward shaping the positive changes we now are seeing.  

ICP's current focus is to assist Chief Hamner with a few items of unfinished business.  Paramount among these is the creation of a civilian police commission to compliment police reforms and improved police/community relations. There is, at the moment, no public forum where community members can comment on police services or make suggestions for improvement. There is no forum where our representatives on council can consider and investigate police policy ideas. ICP thinks this kind of city committee is essential for the long term success of the BIPD, along with improvements to the BIPD's complaint processing system. The topic will be taken up by City Council on July 28.

ICP Hosts Poulsbo PD's Dave Shurick: What's a Crisis Intervention Officer?

On October 28, ICP's mental health working group hosted Poulsbo Officer Dave Shurick, who explained his work as a crisis intervention officer.

A few highlights from the meeting:

-Local NAMI representatives are eager to work with the BIPD to create and support a crisis intervention officer position. They invited BIPD officers--and members of the interested public--to participate in the 12-week family to family class being held in Silverdale February 1-April 19 (Contact Jeanette for details at jcrerecich@yahoo.com).

-Bainbridge Chief Hamner welcomes input about the creation of a crisis intervention officer and BIPD mental health efforts. His email is mhamner@bainbridgewa.gov and direct line 206 780 4686.

-Officer Shurick stressed the importance of identifying himself as a crisis intervention officer when interacting with people in psychological distress. "My badge disappears," he said, and people open up, at least to some extent. He also stressed the importance of follow up conversations with people who he's dealt with in crisis. "People want you to come talk to them when they are normal." Officer Shurick sees great value in building ongoing, positive relationships with people with mental health issues.

-Both Officer Shurick and Poulsbo officer Lee Wheeler feel there is a pressing need for better information sharing, among first responders, about people with mental and behavioral problems. This will increase the safety of those suffering from disorders--and the safety of officers. 

-Finally, Officer Shurick and Chief Hamner reminded us about the importance of appropriate expectations. Local police efforts in places like Bainbridge and Poulsbo will not eliminate violent outcomes or behavior, or get all people with illness into treatment. But it was clear from Officer Shurick's presentation there is a lot more we can do in Kitsap County to improve the current situation.

Link to Officer Shurick's power point presentation here.

(Around) 100 days in: Chief Hamner updates Council on Police Reform Efforts

On October 16, Chief Hamner reported to City Council on BIPD reform efforts, and his personal goals for the department. The written report is full of confounding detail--what one would expect following dozens and dozens of LEMAP and Pendleton report recommendations--but his verbal presentation was short and clear. The Chief wants friendly, service-orientated policing, he wants better mental health response (related article here), and he's putting a high premium on officer training and evaluation. He also wants to report quarterly, to Council, about BIPD operations. He's amenable to a civilian police commission that plays a role in the complaint process, but only after officers are trained in new policies and procedures.

What the chief did not say to council, but did tell the Civil Service Commission last week, is that he likes Criminal Justice Training Commission executive director Sue Rahr's distinction between "warrior" cops and "guardians," and the CJTC's new interest in producing the latter. The possibility was raised, with the Commission, that we could actually seek out "guardian" types during the officer interview process.

On Summer of 2012, an ICP citizen's committee recommended seven steps to improve BIPD/community relations: (1) a public commitment, by the BIPD, to a more collaborative, community-oriented style of policing, (2) clear department goals and objectives in a strategic plan, (3) crisis intervention training and the establishment of crisis intervention personnel, (4) regular reporting to city council on policing issues, (5) civilian oversight, (6) improved youth/officer relations and (7) more bike and foot patrol.

Glad that we're all in agreement.

Update: MIDD tax passes, 3-0. Congratulations to ICP advisory member Rich Daniels on his Citizens'Advisory Committee appointment.

ICP to New Bainbridge Chief Hamner: Welcome Aboard

Awfully glad you're here. Here's our May introductory letter and wish list for you to consider.