Durbin: Federal Government Must Help Law Enforcement Respond to Disabled Americans

Press Release

Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights, today said that Congress and the Executive Branch should do more to help local and state law enforcement agents who have increasingly become the first responders for disabled individuals in crisis due to inadequate mental health and social services.

At a hearing to examine current efforts, Durbin highlighted the Chicago Police Department's Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program which has trained an estimated 2,000 officers in the last 10 years. Nationwide, localities with CIT programs are experiencing a noticeable decline in officer injuries, injuries to disabled citizens, and reduced detention rates.

"Due to inadequate mental health and social services, police officers have become the first responders for disabled individuals in crisis. Law enforcement did not ask for this additional challenge, but it was forced upon them," said Durbin. "As is so often the case, states and local governments are leading the way in crafting innovative responses. We saw today that CIT programs, like those in my home state of Illinois, work and their success shows the promise of approaches that are developed at the local and state level. Congress should support these efforts."

CIT consists of two critical components. The first is training officers to recognize the signs of disabilities, and to de-escalate a crisis incident involving a disabled person in a manner that protects the safety of the officer, the public, and the disabled person. The second is local law enforcement building relationships with the mental health and developmental disability communities. These relationships are critical to finding support and services for a disabled person following a crisis incident.

Witnesses at today's hearing included: The Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance Director, The Honorable Denise E. O'Donnell; Chicago Police Department First Deputy Superintendent, Alfonza Wysinger; Plano Police Department Sergeant, A.D. Paul; Fourth Judicial District of Minnesota Judge, The Honorable Jay M. Quam; Mental Health Advocate and Best Selling Author, Pete Earley; and the National Down Syndrome Society's Advocate of the Year and mother of Ethan Saylor, Patti Saylor.

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