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Police Encounter Many People with Mental-Health Crises. Could Psychiatrists Help? – The Washington Post

Police departments have become a de facto arm of the American mental-health system. Research suggests that about 2 million people with serious mental illness are booked into jails in the United States each year. A 2016 review of studies estimated…
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Collier County Tackles Mental Health Issues in Jails – FOX 4

  The father of a suspect who shot a Ft. Myers Police officer says his son suffered from mental illness. 29-year-old Wisner Desmaret had just been released from a Sarasota jail when he shot and critically wounded FMPD Officer…
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What Hospitals Can Teach the Police – The New York Times

In this opinion piece, Douglas Starr argues that law enforcement agencies should look to hospitals for de-escalation tactics. Read more.
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As Mental Health Calls Increase, UCF Police Train to Temper Their Response – The Orlando Sentinel

The University of Central Florida's (UCF) Police have begun training for mental health crisis intervention. Read more.
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Body Camera Footage Shows Baltimore Police Officer De-escalate Standoff with Armed Man in Crisis – The Baltimore Sun

Officer Angel Villaronga is being praised for an incident caught on camera in which he successfully de-escalated a standoff with an armed man having a mental health crisis. Read more and watch the video.
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Juvenile Law Center Releases New Report on Solitary Confinement in Juvenile Facilities

Last week, the Juvenile Law Center released its new report, Unlocking Youth: Legal Strategies to End Solitary Confinement in Juvenile Facilities. The report was able to make a number of findings: The use of solitary confinement in juvenile…
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How Mental-Health Training for Police Can Save Lives—and Taxpayer Dollars – The Atlantic

This article from The Atlantic discusses how mental health training for law enforcement has saved not only lives, but also taxpayer money. In particular, the author describes the mental health reform enacted in Miami-Dade County and the City…
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Intersection: Sheriff Chitwood on Training Deputies to be Guardians Not Warriors – WMFE

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is investigating the fatal shooting of a man by a Volusia County Sheriff's deputy at a gas station in Deltona last week. In this segment of Intersection, Volusia County Sheriff Michael J. Chitwood…