By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Police Chief Jeff Hooper spoke to the Human Relations Commission Wednesday about his new Crisis Intervention Team.
"There are two officers from the agency that I got funding for through the City Council for this year that are assigned to that," Hooper said. "They are specially trained in crisis intervention, crisis deescalation. They will wear soft clothes, not even be visible as police officers."
There will also be a mental health professional on the team.
"Many of their calls, I just spoke with Chief yesterday," said Mike Garrett with Horizons Mental Health Center. "He's estimating that anywhere from 7 to 10%, possibly even a little bit higher of the calls that they are called out on have a mental health component to that."
There will also be a substance abuse professional involved.
"There is a substance abuse specialist on that team that's supplied by Mirror," Hooper said. "They are hired by Mirror, trained by Mirror, but they work out of the police department. Right now, it's a four person unit that will respond to those crisis situations together. My hope is that the program will be successful and more organizations will jump on board, so that we can have more than a four man team."
The intent is to keep the number of officers at two, but the hope is to get more potentially assisting community groups involved to add them to the team in the future.