M I N N E S O TA C H I E F S

OF

P O L I C E A SS O C I AT I O N

DEDICATED TO THE IDEALS OF PROFESSIONAL P OLICING

January 20, 2015

Re: Comprehensive Mental Health Program Grants and Diversion Programs
Dear Senator Goodwin:
As the Executive Director of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association (MCPA), I am honored to
represent more than 300 Police Chiefs and approximately 150 additional law enforcement
leaders at agencies large and small across the state of Minnesota.
Im writing to thank you for your leadership and for your proposed legislation that calls for more
funding for comprehensive mental health and diversion programs that directly address one of the
most important, timely issues impacting all Minnesota law enforcement agencies and the
communities they serve.
According to a member survey we conducted in November 2014, 95% of police chiefs who
responded said that theyve experienced an increase in mental health related calls over the last
five years, with nearly a quarter of those respondents saying theyve seen a more than 50%
increase. Our members tell us that they spend inordinate amounts of time searching for an
adequate facility to take an individual in crisis to and answering repeated calls from people for
whom jail and detox centers are the only options but treatment is clearly the best long-term
solution.
Led by Duluth Police Chief Gordon Ramsay, the MCPAs current president, our association has
convened a working group to examine this growing problem. Among our recommendations is
the need for more resources, particularly funding for Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), along with
access to nearby facilities and staff for needed treatment.
As background, CIT teaches officers to identify when someone may be experiencing a mental
health crisis and adapt strategies, such as de-escalation techniques. Research has shown and
our members who can afford CIT agree that this approach has been proven to decrease the risk
of injuries or death to both officers and people with mental illnesses, and it also reduces the
number of repeat calls.
In the end, we believe the diversion program you propose in SF141, along with appropriate
officer training would benefit people with mental illness and the peace officers and others who
struggle with how to best help these individuals.

1951 woodlane drive woodbury, mn 55125 651.457.0677 800.377.4058 www.mnchiefs.org

We welcome further discussion and stand ready to support you on this issue.
Thank you,

Andy Skoogman
Executive Director /Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association