Rocky Mount Police Department adds mobile crisis response unit

A new unit in the Rocky Mount Police Department will send trained clinicians to respond to 911 calls from people in crisis.

The mobile crisis response unit is a partnership between Rocky Mount police, Integrated Family Services (IFS), Trillium Health Resources and Eastpointe.

Rocky Mount police say every year they receive hundreds of calls that require intensive help, not an arrest.

Nearly every day, officers respond to a 911 call, only to find it’s not a criminal situation. The police department said officers responded more than 1,700 of these types of calls from 2021 through 2022.

Rocky Mount police Sgt. Jarrod Edmonds explained how the new unit helps “those going through mental health crises, juveniles that have a history of truancy or behavior issues.”

The department said officers typically take the person in need to the emergency room. According to the department, 60% of the people taken to the ER in these scenarios are released the next day.

“Maybe because they didn’t need the help that an emergency room could provide,” Edmonds said. “Instead, they needed the help that a trained clinician could provide.”

Here’s how it will work: If officers respond to a call and identify that someone needs the crisis unit, they’ll call for backup and within minutes, the police department’s trained clinician will arrive.

Then, the clinician will get a briefing on the details and go to the subject. The clinician will then connect the person in need of help with long-term care.

“We hope ultimately, we’re able to serve the community, save lives and reach those who may not have access to treatment otherwise,” said IFS Crisis Director of Community Outreach and Engagement Tracy Hyde.

Hyde explained how authorities plan to staff the mobile crisis response unit.

“Specifically, we have one identified full-time co-responder, who will provide services during the peak hours that we have identified,” Hyde said.

Edmonds said the new crisis unit will help keep officers in the community to do police work.

“It puts boots on the ground, the clinicians out in the field, as a resource to law enforcement officers,” Edmonds said. “It’s somebody for us to call.”

Several police departments across the country have started using mental health crisis programs. It includes Durham’s June 2022 launch of its crisis pilot program.

If you're having suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, call or text 988. Veterans can press “1” after dialing 988 to connect directly to the Veterans Crisis Lifeline, which serves our nation’s veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members and those who support them. For texts, veterans should continue to text the Veterans Crisis Lifeline short code: 838255.