The Dover Police Department is the latest First State police department with a behavioral health unit.
Dover joins Smyrna and Milford Police in adding the unit to its police force.
Dover PD public information officer Sgt. Mark Hoffman explains how its unit is set up, “So the Behavioral Unit partners two sworn officers - who are officers who volunteered for this program - with two mental health clinician partners that are contracted with Dover Behavioral Health system. And they ride with the officers during their shifts and we have coverage 365 days a year - because the officers and the clinicians alternate days - working days - so we maintain constant coverage.”
Hoffman says the officers and the clinicians have been responding to calls since mid-May - targeting behavioral health issues officers encounter. The clinicians also act as a victim’s advocate when needed.
“The primary responsibility of the Behavioral Health Unit is to provide an opportunity for anyone suffering from a mental health or substance abuse-related issue or the chance to be connected with services to help them," Hoffman said. That’s it basically in a nutshell. More often than not, police are the first to respond to a disturbance or criminal incident that may be the result of a behavioral health-related issue.”
The program is funded through grants from the Criminal Justice Council and the State of Delaware.
And the University of Delaware provided the same software program it gave New Castle County Police for their Hero Help initiative, which offers addiction treatment as an alternative to drug arrests in some cases.
Sgt. Hoffman says if the program is successful, more officers could be added and more clinicians hired.
