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Once again last month, the issue of police brutality and racism exploded into our national consciousness, ignited by horrifying images that are impossible to erase from our minds – nor should we try to while this social injustice continues.

But while we know the instances of police brutality against people of color are far too real, we also know that there are law enforcement officers who exemplify the best of their profession and whose commitment to respect and protect all citizens is real. And some of them are right here in our backyard.

On June 16, the President signed an Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities, taking moderate steps forward to initiate law enforcement reform efforts in the wake of national protests highlighting systemic racism, police brutality, and violence.

In part, the section addressing Mental Health, Addiction, and Homelessness, the order states, "As a society, we must take steps to safely and humanely care for those who suffer from mental illness and substance abuse in a manner that addresses such individuals' needs and the needs of their communities…recognizing that, because law enforcement officers often encounter such individuals suffering from these conditions in the course of their duties, all officers should be properly trained for such encounters."

We applaud this recommendation, of course. First, because it’s the right thing to do. And second, because we know it works. For the last six years, Beech Brook has been part of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority’s Police-Assisted Referral (PAR) Program that embodies community policing at its best.

PAR is a partnership between the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police Department (CMHAPD); Beech Brook; Case Western Reserve University; the Partnership for a Safer Cleveland; and Frontline, another behavioral health agency.

Through the PAR program, CMHA police are equipped not just to be first responders, but first social responders as well, with training on issues such as the effects of exposure to violence on the brain; youth development; domestic violence; and many other topics, along with information about the resources available. Each new class of recruits is trained in this, and all officers receive ongoing training by Beech Brook professionals, CWRU professors and other team members. In addition, all PAR partners meet monthly to share information and quarterly for Roll Call to provide updates and feedback.

Thanks to this training, officers have learned to recognize the signs of mental health issues when they respond to a call and can quickly make a referral for the appropriate services. Residents are contacted by a Beech Brook intake worker within 24-48 hours.

Case Western Reserve University has conducted continuous research for the PAR program since its inception. Among their findings:

  • 93% of individuals who received PAR services reported that receiving the card was helpful, and 93% believed all police should be able to give referrals like these.
  • In a separate ongoing longitudinal study, individuals reported significantly less overall stress in their lives and reported feeling significantly less angry, less nervous, and more able to control important things in their lives.

It’s important to note that these individuals are living in some of the most impoverished and crime-ridden neighborhoods in our country.

The PAR program has been selected as a “successful practice and strategy” by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and has been recently designated as a “promising initiative” by the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney General’s Office.

PAR was also featured as an inaugural exhibition in the opening of the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington DC. The underlying model of PAR and results from evaluations have been published in a peer-reviewed journal, Law Enforcement Executive Forum, and presented nationally at numerous academic and community-oriented conferences, including the Annual Meeting of the Association for Psychological Sciences, the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, and the Fifth Annual Summit on Preventing Youth Violence.

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