Gonzalez bill would bolster mental health crisis training for officers

U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) on May 28 joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers to introduce a bill that would authorize a federal grant program to provide behavioral health crisis response training for law enforcement officers and corrections officers.

“Having access to important resources like mental health crisis training can help save the lives of officers and citizens in crisis,” Rep. Gonzalez said. “I am proud to lead this bipartisan effort to support our officers, and look forward to working with my colleagues to move the legislation forward.”

Rep. Gonzalez signed on as the lead original cosponsor of the Law Enforcement Training For Mental Health Crisis Response Act, H.R. 3595, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and cosponsored by seven other members, including U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH). U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) on May 26 introduced the companion bill, S. 1837, in their chamber. 

If enacted, the measure would authorize funds for grants that local law enforcement offices can apply for to help train police on how to best interact with individuals with mental health illness and resolve and de-escalate potentially dangerous situations, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Gonzalez’s staff.

Under the bill, federal grants would be made available through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Byrne JAG program, which helps train officers responding to calls wherein an individual may be experiencing a mental health related crisis, and also encompasses opioid-related crises, according to the summary.

“As a former prosecutor who had the privilege of working alongside law enforcement for over two decades, I know firsthand that our police officers are often the first on the scene when someone is suffering a mental health crisis,” said Rep. Joyce. “But without adequate training, those encounters can be both dangerous and tragic. By increasing coordination between law enforcement and local mental health professionals and providing officers with the training they need to respond to those in crisis, this bill will improve the safety of our communities as well as the safety of the men and women in blue sworn to protect them.”