FARMINGTON HILLS — The Farmington Hills Police Department has been recognized for its pioneering focus on mental health training among police departments in Michigan.
Last year, all of the department’s officers, trainees and dispatchers underwent two days of mental health training to better prepare them to respond to mental health-related calls — a first for a Michigan police department.
The Michigan Law Enforcement Standards Commission recognized Farmington Hills on Thursday, June 27, for its efforts in mental health training.
Since then, MCOLES has mandated that all police academy recruits in the state receive mental health training that includes instruction in de-escalation and effective communication techniques.
“Our communities need the best trained and equipped police officers to respond to emergencies, and this Behavioral Health Emergency Partnership training provides that level of training for all of our trainees, dispatchers and officers,” Police Chief Jeff King said in the release. “It now further equips our agency to safely respond to these dangerous and vulnerable emergencies and provide the best first-responder level support and services to individuals experiencing mental health emergencies and their loved ones.”
Farmington Hills police officers responded to 412 mental health incidents last year and 155 mental health incidents this year, according to the city.
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Other communities, such as Livonia and Westland, have beefed up their mental health services by hiring social workers on staff or training therapy dogs. These resources come in response to national calls for more empathetic policing and a rise in mental health-related incidents.
“Chief Jeff King and the Farmington Hills Police Department have demonstrated their dedication and achievements by going above and beyond the norm by being the first in the state to have 100 percent of their officers, dispatchers and trainees take the commission’s 20-hour Behavioral Health Emergency Partnership training,” MCOLES Chair Kim Koster said in a resolution submitted to Farmington Hills.
Reporter Shelby Tankersley can be contacted at stankersle@hometownlife.com or 734-331-0659..
