Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mental Health Response topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Officer injured responding to mental‑health call; Brownsburg PD expands crisis training as calls climb
Summary
The Brownsburg Police Department reported an April incident in which a sergeant was struck during a response to a mental‑health crisis and said it is expanding Crisis Intervention Team and negotiation-unit training amid a rise in mental‑health calls.
A Brownsburg sergeant suffered a minor head injury in April while officers responded to a mental‑health crisis, the department said, and the agency is increasing crisis‑response training as mental‑health calls rise.
Chief Joe Grimes told the Brownsburg Police Commission that officers responded to reports of property destruction at a local business involving an adult with autism. Grimes said Sergeant Doug Abshire was struck by a rock and sustained a minor injury; the chief relayed that Abshire said "that was probably the safest place for him to get hit." Officers subdued the person, took them into custody and connected them with mental‑health care, Grimes said.
Grimes said the department is prioritizing specialized training because of increasing call volume for behavioral‑health incidents. He told the commission there are 10 positions in the department's Crisis Negotiation Unit (CNU) that train at least quarterly and that 14 shift officers plus one traffic officer have completed Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training. "One of the things for year to date is that we've had 37 documented mental health calls for service just this year alone," Grimes said.
The department said the additional training is intended to improve responder safety and outcomes for people in crisis; Grimes said the agency hopes to increase CIT and CNU coverage across shifts.
Commissioners did not take formal action; the report was presented as part of the chief's operational update.
