LARGO, Fla. -- The Largo Police Department is teaming up with the local non-profit "Directions for Living" to launch a new program specifically to help callers with mental health related issues.
- Largo PD teams up with non-profit to help callers with mental illness
- Department's goal is to serve and protect
- PD to form new unit specific for mental health calls
The department's goal is to serve and protect. They're now taking that mission one step further by being proactive.
"The goal of the program is to get the citizens in the community the services they need," Deputy Chief Michael Loux said.
In response to a staggering amount of mental health related calls, Largo PD and Directions for Living have come up with a new effort to help those in need.
"You have calls that result in a Baker Act, you have calls where people are suicidal or they're seeing things at night or seeing things that aren't there," Deputy Chief Loux said.
Deputy Loux said over the last two years, they've had more than 4,500 mental health related calls.
"Certainly it's alarming, especially when you have some of the calls that are repeated back to the same address over and over again," Loux said.
Many times, the officers will respond to the same caller dozens of times, Loux said, and tie up resources without providing a proper solution. He hopes that will soon change.
"The officers want to get the help that they need. They want to find the right resources to help the citizens with their problem," Loux said.
The new unit will consist of a Largo Police officer and mental health worker that will drive around together to provide assistance and available resources like psychological testing, therapy, and case management.
"Maybe instead of, I'm going to commit suicide, maybe I'm going to call my case worker or I know there are other resources out there," Deputy Loux said.
Leaders from both Largo Police and Directions for Living hope the program will cut down on calls, keep the community safe, and even save lives.
April Lott, President and CEO of Directions for Living, released a statement about the new program that is expected to launch this fall.
"Directions for Living is pleased to be working with the Largo Police Department to implement a mental health and law enforcement team to respond to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. This mobile crisis, response mental health and law enforcement team will allow individuals experiencing a mental health crisis to get the appropriate level response and connection to the needed services to prevent the individual from going to jail or the emergency room--both very expensive and inappropriate solutions to a mental health crises.
This initiative by the Largo police department acknowledges two very important facts in our community. First that people experiencing a mental health crisis often come face to face with law enforcement and second that these individuals are in need of kind, compassionate, and knowledgeable people to assist them with accessing the services needed to keep them safe and healthy. An arrest and Jail is simply not the solution. The Largo police department is to be commended for its commitment to the health, well-being, and the safety of the Largo community.”