POLICE DEPARTMENT | 2021 VIII
LAKE WORTH
PD
faces mental By Landon N. Rollins, Field Operations Commander Lake Worth Police Department
L
aw enforcement is counted on to provide a plethora of services to our citizens daily. From crashes to domestic assaults, the delivery of police services is constantly evolving. One of the foremost issues facing law enforcement today involves encounters with people suffering a mental health crisis.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a diagnosable mental illness and 1 in 20 U.S. adults live with the classification of a severe mental illness. Additionally, 17% of youth (ages 6 – 17 years old) experience a mental health condition (NAMI). Mental illness knows no class of people, race, creed, religion, or socioeconomic status. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has only made matters worse. Each day, our officers respond to an increasing number of calls that involve someone experiencing a mental health emergency. While fully committed to protecting life and property, a response to calls involving a person in crisis requires 10
LAKE WORTH DIRECTORY
|
2021
