Mental Health, Community, and Law Enforcement
A mental health crisis is not always a crime, and Geneva County needs a response that protects the public while also getting people to the right help. As sheriff, I will work to expand Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training so every deputy is better prepared to recognize a behavioral health crisis, slow a situation down, and de-escalate safely. CIT is a nationally recognized model built around partnerships between law enforcement, behavioral health providers, and the community, and national guidance connects it with safer, more effective crisis response.
I also want to pilot a co-responder model for high-need calls by pairing trained deputies with mental health professionals when appropriate. SAMHSA says co-response models generally pair specially trained law enforcement or other first responders with behavioral health professionals, are especially common in rural areas, and can help divert people with behavioral health needs away from the criminal justice system. Alabama’s own crisis system says mobile crisis teams can work as co-responders with law enforcement and help reduce unnecessary ER visits and arrests.
Here in our area, we already have real partners to build with. SpectraCare serves Geneva County, and Alabama’s 988 system is designed around “someone to call, someone to respond, and somewhere to go,” with SpectraCare serving as the 988 partner for the Dothan region.
This is not about being soft. It is about being smart. Deputies need better tools for some of the hardest calls they face. Families need a path to help before a crisis becomes a tragedy. And our jail should be focused on those who truly belong there, while people in a mental health crisis are connected to treatment whenever it is safe and appropriate. That is better for public safety, better for our deputies, and better for Geneva County.