By Mike Finney

DOVER — In an effort to stop continuous cycles of arrests and offer individuals a path forward, the Dover Police Department and its Behavioral Health Unit have been hitting the city’s streets for about a month-and-a-half now.

Dover Police Chief Thomas Johnson said it’s been so far, so good for the city’s newest police unit, in which a pair of behavioral health clinicians partner with two Dover police officers during 12-hour shifts, on opposite days, to ensure 365-day service.

“I wanted to make sure that our program was sustainable for the long haul and had the best chance for success,” Chief Johnson said. “In the end, great collaboration brought together great service providers to try and help some of our most at-risk members of the community.

“I know that this will save lives and be another step towards a better Dover.”

Dover’s new Behavioral Health Unit is supported through grants and additional funding. The city joined several other municipalities throughout the state who have started similar mental health programs from patrol cars.

The combination of police officers and mental health workers is a growing trend across the country in hopes that the team approach can help to diffuse multiple scenarios. Dover’s newest unit first took to the streets on May 24.

“The Criminal Justice Council facilitated the grant application,” Chief Johnson said. “The state of Delaware provided additional program funds. The University of Delaware offered the same support software they supplied to the New Castle County PD Hero Help initiative.

“Hero Help is a similar program, and the New Castle County officers were a great resource for us.”

Patrolman First Class Michael Simpkiss, a four-year veteran, volunteered to take part in the program. He is joined by Patrolman First Class Thomas Rivera, a six-year veteran of the department and former Dover Police cadet. Both are full-time community policing officers.

“Their job is to work in conjunction with and provide information, intelligence, safety and security for their clinical field partner,” said Chief Johnson.

Their clinical field partners are Watara Heath and Vasile Mihai Rus, both of whom work with the Dover Behavioral Health System and competed for the assignment.

“I’m excited for this program because I see how it’s effective in communities,” Ms. Heath said.

After getting acclimated to the police department and the city of Dover, the clinician and officer teams have been responding to calls for service and initiating proactive support to individuals throughout the city.

The primary responsibility of the Behavioral Health Unit is to provide an opportunity for any person suffering from a mental health or substance abuse related issue, or both, the chance to be connected to services to help them.

The behavioral health specialists are supported and protected by the Dover officers. They provide definitive care at initial contact when it is more likely the person needing help in that moment will accept it.

In the majority of their combined encounters, the police are the first to respond to a disturbance or criminal incident that may be the result of a behavioral health issue.

The Behavioral Health Unit provides the department, and more importantly the person needing assistance, with the opportunity to be connected to necessary services without a criminal arrest.

Officers and their clinical field partners will then follow up with those contacted, as necessary, to ensure they are on the path to improvement or recovery.

“I’m really excited,” said Chief Johnson. “This kind of brings this program full circle. This has been in development for quite some time.

“We have been long trying to find a formal way to staff alternative solutions for certain situations, particularly with individuals who might be experiencing some type of a behavioral health problem, whether that be mental health or substance abuse.”

Chief Johnson told members of city council at a meeting in mid-June that his officers are sure to pick up some pointers from their new clinical partners and vice versa.

“We’re there to do our role and they’re there to do theirs,” the chief said. “They’re going to pick up some things in situations outside of the clinical setting and we’re going to pick up on some things that help to resolve a situation.”