Council hears concern about possible King County cuts to crisis‑intervention training; members discuss local options
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Summary
A council member said King County may cut funding for academy-based crisis-intervention training and urged the city to consider legislative outreach and local mental-health first-aid options. Staff and members discussed hosting training in partnership with the hospital or county.
Council member Chris (surname unclear in transcript) told the Snoqualmie Public Safety Committee on Oct. 20 he learned King County is considering a substantial reduction in funding for crisis-intervention training (CIT) provided at the police academy and said the committee should consider making it a legislative priority.
Members discussed alternatives and supports. Committee members and staff noted a separate mental-health "first aid" program exists that is similar to CPR but focused on how to provide initial assistance to someone experiencing a mental-health crisis; they suggested county, hospital or local partnerships to expand training locally. Deputy/Acting Chief Brown indicated interest in participating in such training and staff suggested a first-quarter session that could be hosted at city facilities or a hospital.
No formal action or funding decision was made; council members directed staff to explore training options and potential legislative outreach to preserve or replace the county training funding.
