By Craig Anderson

U.S. Sen. Chris Coons is hearing a similar refrain from both law enforcement and education professionals: They’re seeking more resources and expertise to better interact with those facing mental health challenges.

“They are both very different fields, and I’m not trying to compare them, but teachers and police officers say, ‘You know, I went to school to teach or went to the academy, and you’re expecting me to also deal with hunger, mental health challenges, social dysfunction, culture,’” the Democratic senator said earlier this month.

He added that he hears from educators: “‘I just want to work with my 20 kids and teach them right, but I have to deal with what they’re doing when they came in and what they’re doing when they go.’”

And for law enforcement specifically, Sen. Coons said, “Most police officers I’ve ever been friends with say they went to be a police officer, not a social worker. (But many) calls for service are in some way precipitated by a mental health incident or addiction or both.”

Officers communicate to him, “‘If you’re gonna hold me accountable, I want better training. I want better resources. And my gosh, if you can give me a mental health professional who knows what they’re doing, deploy them first. And I’ll stay back and make sure they’re safe.’”

And so on April 5, Sen. Coons and seven other lawmakers introduced the bipartisan Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act of 2022 to support police personnel in their responses to people suffering from mental health and in need of help.

On Friday, a spokeswoman for Sen. Coons, Tacy Cresson, said the timetable for passage of the bill is uncertain, and the amount of money Delaware would be allocated will depend on what the state proves it’s eligible for, what it applies for, what its costs are and other factors.

The bill is designed to improve training for police officers interacting with individuals dealing with mental or behavior health issues, including using de-escalation tactics and alternatives to force, as well as working with mental health professionals on crisis intervention teams. It would also empower police and their mental health colleagues to link such persons to behavioral health services, according to an announcement.

“On both sides of the aisle, we agree on the importance of improving resources for those experiencing mental or behavioral health crises in our communities,” Sen. Coons said. “By helping to connect police officers with health providers and emergency services, this bipartisan bill would create better outcomes — both for law enforcement and for those in need of support.”

Any funding should be tailored around the needs of individual states, he added.

“My challenge to (fellow lawmakers) has been, let’s not pass something that’s one-size-fits-all,” he said. “Let’s try and provide support and funding that is more flexible and allows states and their counties and communities to decide what’s the best resolution for them.”

To improve officer training on mental and behavioral health and to promote intervention programs, the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act would:

• Require the federal Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to develop curricula in the training topics, or identify existing curricula, in consultation with law enforcement, mental health organizations, family advocates and civil liberties groups, among other stakeholders.

• Authorize $70 million in annual grant funding for training, including scenario-based exercises and evaluations.

• Require the National Institute of Justice and the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the implementation of the program and the effect of the training to ensure that it has a tangible impact on law enforcement encounters with people in crisis and identify possible changes that would further improve outcomes.