MPD to train officers to handle mental health crises

MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) — "In the back of your mind, like, what do I say? Or what do I do?” says CPL. Jermaine Rogers with MPD’s Office of Strategic Initiatives.

Cpl. Jermaine Rogers wants answers to those questions when it comes to dealing with a case of a person who is mentally unstable. He says, as a detective with the Mobile Police Homicide Unit, he saw many such cases daily. He remembers one in particular.

“Responding to a house where it’s domestic related and the parents would tell you, ok, he’s suffering from mental illness. At that time we didn’t know exactly how to respond to that. But we did get him transported to Mobile Infirmary for that help.”

Officers will now get that chance in a new training program. Beginning June 20th, officers will spend a week in Houston, Texas. There they will hear from experts about suicide, personality disorders, substance abuse, and bipolar disorder to name just a few. They’ll also go through scenario-based skills training.

“Teaching our officers to look for signs and symptoms of individuals that may be in a mental health crisis,” says Public Safety Director Lawrence Battiste.

Rogers was a detective with MPD’s homicide unit but was transferred to the Office of Strategic Initiatives because he specifically wanted to train on mental health cases. The reason being—it hits close to home.

“I’m a foster parent and I receive therapeutic kids which have mental illness. It’s very important to me because I know on a daily basis, what my kids go through,” says Rogers.

Once he’s certified next month, he’ll be able to train even more officers here in Mobile.

“What I want people to know, that when the police department is responding to them, their loved ones are in safe hands,” says Rogers.