Law enforcement crisis training is closer to becoming a statewide requirement now that the House has passed a bill advising more funding for it.
Sen. Mark Stoops (D-Bloomington) says there isn’t currently enough training teaching police how to handle a crisis, such as a mental health issue or a diabetic attack. Stoops says the bill would make law enforcement communication safer and more effective.
“Treatment typically costs about a dollar for every six dollars we would’ve spent on incarceration. So it’s a very cost-effective approach as well,” Stoops says.
Sen. Jim Merritt (R-Indianapolis) co-authored the bill and says the bill provides for training officers don’t mandatorily receive.
“I really believe crisis intervention will save, number one, lives and two, law enforcement officers will know how to handle situations and maybe not take someone to jail because they understand the situation better,” Merritt says.
The bill would encourage law enforcement to work with mental health providers and other partners to solve problems without taking people to local jails, many of which are overcrowded.
