(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Northbrook is the latest police department to partner with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office for help in responding to mental health calls.
The northern suburb joins Oak Lawn and Blue Island in utilizing the sheriff’s Co-Responder Virtual Assistance Program at a time when police are handling more of these situations.
Police Chief Christopher Kennedy calls it a wonderful opportunity to help his officers address calls that aren’t always what they seem.
The free, open-ended program allows police to connect people in mental health distress to clinicians via video calls.
Kennedy says it’s another avenue to aid those who are struggling.
His department has already trained half its officers in crisis intervention and has hired three embedded counselors.
The sheriff’s office says it has seen mental health calls jump from about 1,700 in 2018 to more than 3,000 last year. The start of this year is on pace to go even higher.
In Northbrook over the last two years, police have responded to 173 mental health incidents such as hospital committals and suicide attempts.
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