Chico Police Department
Police Community Advisory Board
January 16, 2013
Minutes
LOCATION: Old Municipal Building – 441 Main Street
BOARD MEMBERS NOT PRESENT: Mayor Goloff & Al Renville
OPENING COMMENTS:
We would like to thank Ann Schwab and Michael Campos for their service on this board and welcome
our new members Kathleen Lydon and Jiovanni Terriceri and our new Mayor, Mary Goloff. Mayor
Goloff had a meeting conflict and could not make it tonight.
Chief Trostle requested a moment of silence for fallen Officer Kevin Tonn from the Galt Police
Department. Officer Tonn was killed in the line of duty investigating a burglary.
CITIZEN INPUT/NEIGHBORHOOD INPUT:
Charlie Preusser – Representing the ACLU – requesting more information on a tasing incident that
Bob Trousch witnessed. Mr. Trousch believes what he witnessed is against policy.
Chief Trostle – Those types of accusations always concern myself and staff from the Police
Department. The News & Review wrote an article about an out of control and violent individual at
Costco. All the facts were not contained nor the circumstances outlined as to what occurred during
that incident. Captain Porter will address the incident with the ACLU. A witness came to the Police
Department to report that he felt everything in the article was incorrect. He felt the officers and
citizens that attempted to take the individual into custody did everything appropriately. There are
always two sides to every story. I feel that article was not just damaging to the Police Department but
all individuals involved.
Captain MacPhail – The purpose for the witness that came to the Police Department last week was to
commend the officers involved in the incident.
Benson – Asked about services available for people released from Butte County Jail.
Chief Trostle – My understanding is that individuals released from Butte County Jail are provided
with a free B-Line ticket.
Benson – Suggested posting wanted persons on our facebook page.
Captain MacPhail – We do post press releases on facebook with photos of suspects when they are
available.
PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION:
Topic: 11-12 Grand Jury Report on Mental Health by Ken Fleming
The Grand Jury looked at the Mental Health Department to see if there were improvements from prior
investigations. They addressed complaints about how the 5150 process was working. California Code
5150 is used by law enforcement when they are dealing with an individual who appears to have a
psychiatric problem, which are a danger to themselves or others or gravely disabled. They also looked
at funding for Behavioral Health and funding for health and human services in general. Out of 24
county departments there are three that address health and human services; Behavioral Health, Pubic
Health and Employment and Social Services. Those departments make up 51% of Butte County’s total
budget of over 4 billion. There is a quick link to the Grand Jury on Butte County’s website at
www.buttecounty.net. This report and previous reports are available.
The Grand Jury collected data from all three emergency departments in the county. Over a three year
period, Butte County averaged over 1500 5150’s per year that ended up in the emergency room. They
interviewed staff from the emergency rooms and discovered that no one is happy with the system.
Health and human services problems require a lot of organizations and people to be involved to keep
them going. Each organization has their own priorities and function in different worlds. The City has
the problems but no resources. The County has the resources. There has to be clear and responsible
protocols. 5150 code says that law enforcement officers have a responsibility to decide if someone
should be detained and transported to a designated facility. There is only one in the county; the
Department of Behavioral Health. These 1500 people per year are not going to Behavioral Health;
they are taken to the emergency rooms. A federal law allows medical professionals to make decisions
for individuals that are unable to make decisions for themselves. Once they are seen by a physician
and it is clear that they are not a danger, they have no authority to hold them. 140 people walked away
from emergency rooms and there was not much effort to look for them.
Another problem that exists is, after evaluation it is determined that a person needs to be held on a
5150, so they need to be medically cleared. A medical exam may cost hundreds of dollars and some
complain because they are stuck with the bill. Then it is determined that they can go home. There
federal and state laws and local practices that are all in conflict. This is a problem that won’t go away.
Drug and alcohol abuse is a major problem for society and law enforcement. Alcohol and drug
services were not always in Behavioral Health, they were in Public Health and did well. They were
able to treat everyone that walked in the door. Now that the services are under Behavioral Health, the
spending has been focused on dual-diagnosis clients. There are not many providers and some
providers have had to sell their services outside of the county because they can not make it on the
public contracted amount. Out of 52 billion budgeted income the County is only putting in $250,000.
The problems that we see with drug and alcohol abuse are severe enough that they find money. It used
to be required that every county had to do an open planning process annually for alcohol and drug
abuse and mental health. The law changed so that it became optional. The County stopped planning.
The Grand Jury recommended that we go back to that.
This year we are realigning Behavioral Health, Public Health, and Social Services. I have no idea what
that will mean for the County. Problems that we had years ago are still problems today. If a person is
picked up on a 5150 here and they are from Kern County, it is likely that Butte County will not be
reimbursed for treatment. This change is happening; therefore, it is a prime time to bring back a local
planning process.
Charlie Preusser – In the past these reports were required and occurred. Is there a record of the
success of these plans?
Ken Fleming – Drug and alcohol programs were taken over by drug courts. I have not seen a study
that shows drug courts get better results than the old PC 1000 programs. It costs more for these
programs to be in drug court.
Citizen - Is the percentage of the population with mental illness increasing?
Ann Robin (Butte County Behavioral Health Director) – 1 in 5 adults in the United States has some
sort of moderate to severe mental illness that needs treatment. In Butte County, that is about 50,000
people. We do not have the capacity to treat all of those in need. There is work to be done in the
community to address this issue.
Topic: Drugs and Alcohol by Captain MacPhail
Acknowledged Shauna Quinn, former Director of CADEC – Campus Alcohol and Drug Education
Center. She helped come up with strategies for our special event policies. There are several members
at the CSU Chico campus currently addressing this issue.
Background: About six months ago at the start of the Fall semester, there were two deaths, prior to
Labor Day, that were alcohol deaths. There were articles in the paper but they did not generate much
conversation. On Labor Day, for the first time, there was a death at the river – Brett Olson; which
prompted some action to be taken. There have been two more deaths since then for a total of five in
less than six months.
After Labor Day, the University had a debriefing that focused on special events, problems at the river,
massive resources of law enforcement and emergency services, and the financial impact. After Brett
Olson’s death, the focus changed. Councilmember, Ann Schwab took this topic to Town & Gown
engaging the students to talk about what we need to do about the broader subject of alcohol. Over the
last couple of months, brainstorming has been done and Councilmember Schwab has taken ideas back
to her peers on the Council. After the last student death in November, University President Zingg
suspended the Greeks and sped up the conversation.
A Call for Community Action will be held next month to address this issue. Details will be released
soon. This is not just a University problem, it is a community problem. There will be an action plan.
Members of the community have stated that there needs to be public policy changes. We have looked
into strategies that have been used and worked in other college communities. The business community
will be part of solutions in the action plan.
Benson – Oregon State University had house mothers in the Greek system.
Charlie Preusser – Has a strong belief that there is an alcohol problem but the drug problem is ten
times as bad. Students feel they are bullet proof as they always have.
Captain MacPhail – What has changed is the social norm and the need for instant gratification.
Mandates have changed and we are not allowed to call the parents of an 18 year old student.
Shauna Quinn – Research shows the way college students drink now is different. College students
have always drank but if you asked in surveys before why they drank it was for social reasons, to meet
friends, or to dance. Now, over 60% will say I drink to get drunk; my goal is to get drunk. They will
drink and do shots before they go out and some do not even make it downtown.
Melinda Vasquez – Has the City of Chico issued a moratorium on issuing ABC licenses for
establishments that want to sell alcohol downtown?
Chief Trostle – That is under consideration at this point and has been discussed with Mayor Goloff.
ABC is their own independent entity that issues the licenses.
NEXT MEETING:
Date: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm
Location: Old Municipal Building – 441 Main Street
Topics: Behavioral Health presentation by Anne Robin and Downtown Anti-Social behavior handout
prepared by Lt. Gonzales.
Chico Police Department
Police Community Advisory Board
February 20, 2013
Minutes
LOCATION: Old Municipal Building – 441 Main Street
PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION:
Topic: Behavioral Health by Anne Robin, MFT, Director of Butte County Behavioral Health
Back in the 1960’s we had a lot of state hospitals, people were let out of the state hospitals with the
promise of funding for community programs. What we still see as a result of what happened in the
1960’s is increased homelessness on the street. In the last five years we have lost over 40% of substance
abuse treatment dollars in the state. We try to do what we do with the current population very well with
the small about of resources.
Behavioral Health 101 PowerPoint presentation:
• Provides and monitors services Countywide
o Mental health and substance abuse disorder prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation
• Serves over 7,000 individuals annually – some people we see daily, weekly, monthly, every 3
months or annually
• Over 430 staff – about 320 full-time staff
• Annual budget of $57,312,351
• Behavioral Health Services
o Adults
ƒ Outpatient clinical services
ƒ Inpatient psychiatric services
ƒ Crisis services & 23-hour crisis stabilization unit
ƒ Wellness centers
ƒ Contracted and specialized programs
o Children
ƒ Outpatient clinical services
ƒ Crisis services & 23-hour crisis stabilization unit
ƒ Prevention services
ƒ Contracted and specialized programs
• Mental Health Funding
o State
$27,571,473
o Federal
$20,272,479
o Charges for services
$2,347,450
o Other financing sources
$830,012
o Other intergovt revenue
$450,000
o County MOE (General Fund)
$271,345
o Miscellaneous
$126,975
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Alcohol and Drug Funding
o Federal
$3,009,555
o Other financing sources
$2,120,689
o Charges for services
$283,529
o Miscellaneous
$15,000
o County MOE (General Fund)
$13,844
Behavioral Health Staffing
o Adult Out-Patient
31%
o Youth Services
16%
o Crisis Services
14%
o Adult In-Patient
12%
o Administrative Services
11%
o Alcohol & Drug Services
7%
o Prevention
7%
o Information Technology
2%
Adult Outpatient Services
o Specialized treatment for adults with chronic and severe mental illness, such as:
ƒ Schizophrenia
ƒ Bi-polar Disorder
ƒ Major Depression
ƒ Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
o Global Assessment of Functioning Scale
ƒ A tool that goes from 100 to 0
ƒ We treat people who meet a 50 or below. People who are medically necessary for
our services. Those who cannot function on their own.
o Outpatient services in Gridley, Chico, Oroville, and Paradise and Cal-Works programs in
Chico and Oroville
ƒ Includes assessment, therapy, medications, and case management
Wellness Centers for Adults
o Iversen Center in Chico
o The Hub in Paradise
o Wellness Services in Oroville:
ƒ Medication services
ƒ Employment and housing services
ƒ Community skill building
ƒ Peer let support and educational groups
ƒ Computer labs
AB109 Program
o Services to individuals released under Public Safety realignment
ƒ Cooperative services with Probation and Sheriff’s Office
ƒ Services include assessment, therapy, group therapy, medication services, and case
management
ƒ Mental health and substance use treatment services provided
Inpatient Services
o BCDBH 16 Bed Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) in Chico
ƒ Facility for adults who do not have medical (physical health) complications but
require high level of psychiatric care
ƒ Length of stay averages 7 days, some do stay longer
ƒ Most admissions are involuntary
ƒ Accepts medi-cal, cmsp, and other insurances
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ƒ Safety net for county population
ƒ Annual number clients served: 565
Crisis Services
o Crisis line 24/7 for all behavioral health crisis calls 1-800-334-6622
o Mobile crisis response to Emergency Departments, Schools, other public locations 8:00am
– 7:00pm, 7 days a week
o Mobile crisis response for children 24/7
o Crisis Stabilization Unit
ƒ Available for up to 23 hours
ƒ Voluntary
ƒ Accepts walk-ins 7 days a week until 11:00pm
ƒ Law Enforcement may refer 24/7
Children’s Outpatient Services
o Community Counseling Centers in Gridley, Chico, Oroville and Paradise
o Ages 0 to 25 (transition age youth)
o Specialized treatment for children and youth with:
ƒ Severe Mood disorder
ƒ Oppositional Defiant Disorder
ƒ ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder)
ƒ Bi-polar Disorder
ƒ Psychotic Disorders
o Includes assessment, therapy, group, medications, case management, and wraparound
services
Prevention Services for Children, Youth & Families
o Live Spot in Gridley and Oroville
o Friday Night Live and Club Live in 15 schools
o Impact mentoring in 5 schools
o Reach Conference
o Youth Development Summit (Community Leader World Café)
o Athlete Committed
o Strengthening Families program
o Butte Youth Now Coalition
Substance Abuse Treatment
o Outpatient services
ƒ Assessment, diagnosis, and treatment for individuals diagnosed with substance use
disorders
• Individual and group counseling
• Referrals to community resources and self-help groups
o Treatment Court Programs
ƒ Stepping Stones Perinatal program
ƒ Voluntary Drug Treatment through the Court
ƒ Family Drug Treatment
ƒ Drug Treatment for Offenders (SACPA)
Substance Abuse Contractors
o Aegis Narcotic Treatment Program
o Skyway House
o Northern California Treatment Services
o Tri-County Treatment
o On-Site Medical Services
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Contracted Programs
o Programs for children, families, and adults through contracted agencies including:
ƒ Out of county providers for inpatient services
ƒ Residential care for children and youth
ƒ Intensive locked residential care for adults
ƒ Other residential services for adults
• Crestwood
• Modesto Living Center
• Willow Glen
• North Valley Behavioral Health
• Psychiatric Inpatient Hospitals
Question: Why do not we not have a facility like these locally?
Anne Robin: There hasn’t been enough foot traffic to keep them alive. They generally run with 40 to
several hundred residents.
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Butte County Agency Partnerships
o Youth For Change
ƒ Hospital Alternative Program for Youth
ƒ School Based mental health services
ƒ 6th Street Center for Youth
ƒ African American Family and Cultural Center
ƒ Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS)
ƒ Housing alternatives (Coleen’s House, master leased apartments)
o Northern Valley Catholic Social Services
ƒ School Based Services for Youth
ƒ Wraparound services
ƒ Promotores
ƒ Northern Valley Talk Line
ƒ Mother’s Well
ƒ Sub-contracts with Torres Shelter and Hmong Cultural Center
o Victor Community Support Services
ƒ School based services for youth
o Counseling Solutions
o Feather River Tribal Health
o National Alliance for Mentally Ill (NAMI) Butte County
o Jesus Center
ƒ Employment and referral services for homeless
o Chico State Foundation
ƒ Passages intensive mental health services for older adults
ƒ Suicide prevention for older adults (Friendship line)
o Stonewall Alliance
ƒ Suicide prevention services
o Caminar
ƒ Housing supports
ƒ Employment support and training
o State Department of Rehabilitation
ƒ Cooperative Employment Programs
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County Department Partnerships
o Department of Employment and Social Services (DESS)
o Butte County Office of Education (BCOE)
o Sheriff’s Office
o Probation Department
o Public Health Department
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What We Really Do
o BCDBH serves as the safety net program for individuals and families suffering from
serious mental illness and substance use disorders
o We provide prevention and early intervention services where possible, crisis services for
all
o We work closely with other community partners to develop a continuum of care for county
residents who have a behavioral health treatment need
Recent Changes
o New funding challenges due to 2011 social services realignment
o Elimination of AB3632, school based mental health services legislation
o New opportunities for partnerships with law enforcement agencies with public safety
realignment
o Retirement of Clinical Assistant Director, 4 clinical program managers, 3 clinical
supervisors
o New medical Director
2013 Priorities
o Increase collaboration
ƒ Hospitals
ƒ Public safety
ƒ Primary health care providers
o Develop community consensus for level of care
o Increase community education & awareness
o Manage changing regulations and funding sources, including Health Care Reform
o Recruit, retain and support qualified and excellent staff
Behavioral Health Strategic Plan
o Workforce training and development
o Access, utilization and integration
o Standardization and compliance
o Technology
o Quality outcome measures, data, and performance
o Community education and collaboration
o Full plan available: www.buttecountybehavioralhealth.net
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Citizen: Pointed out that there is intolerance and harassment of mental health clients in our community
among college students.
Tray Robinson: There needs to be a community effort to educate people on the many groups that are
affected by harassment and mental health clients should be included.
NEXT MEETING:
Date: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm
Location: Old Municipal Building – 441 Main Street
Topic: Downtown Anti-Social behavior, Crisis Intervention Team, Ongoing Mental Health concerns
Chico Police Department
Police Community Advisory Board
March 20, 2013
Minutes
LOCATION: Old Municipal Building – 441 Main Street
BOARD MEMBERS NOT PRESENT: Mary Goloff, Drew Calandrella, Tray Robinson, Al Renville
OPENING REMARKS:
Chief Trostle – Our topic this year is Behavioral Health as it relates to the Police Department. So far
this year we have had and will continue to have presentations with the different components the Police
Department involves itself with when it comes to Behavioral Health.
CITIZEN INPUT/NEIGHBORHOOD INPUT:
Jim Shary – Is there an update on the Glenn County river alcohol ban?
Captain MacPhail – The chairman of the Board of Supervisors, John Viegas spoke with Mayor
Goloff a little over a week ago and decided to put the ban back on the agenda. It was reintroduced and
approved yesterday by a three-fifths vote. The ordinance was amended from its original version and is
different from the Butte County ordinance. It applies to the Labor Day holiday only.
Citizen – Asked about St. Patrick’s Day.
Lt. Gonzales – In comparison to previous years it was quiet. We had officers scheduled for overtime
that we were able to send home early. The overall arrests were down from last year. We did have
fights and drunks in public but not to the extreme that we’ve had in the past. We are gearing up for
Cesar Chavez Day which is the same day as Easter. We are hoping most students will go home to visit
their families.
Charlie Preusser – Doesn’t believe it is productive to blame all the ills on students and alcohol. We
should take a look at the drug problem in Chico.
PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION:
Topic: Downtown Anti-social Behavior by Lt. Gonzales
Asked to discuss concerns about the homeless/transient community, concerns from members of our
community, and what calls for service the Police Department are receiving relating to these issues.
Presented maps of the city showing calls for service related to transient complaints and camping for the
time period of January 1, 2013 – March 19, 2013.
Overall the community complains about feeling unsafe. They are concerned about the aggressiveness
or the change in the number of homeless they are seeing in the community. We do have local services
available to our homeless community members. The complaints our dispatch center receives are;
increase presence of homeless, increase of aggressiveness of panhandling, increase of debris, concerns
about safety issues, complaints about Chico being on the homeless highway. We have contacted
several homeless community members that advise they are from a wide variety of places around the
United States. These citizens are not coming to Chico to make it a better place. There are several
members of our homeless community that are doing an outstanding job for our community. They are
working hard, receiving services, actively trying to improve their situation and helping others. We do
not receive complaints regarding these members of our community. We receive complaints about the
aggressive, anti-social, service resistant members of the population.
The question is, how do we engage members of this population? There are groups involved in this
discussion like the Clean and Safe Initiative and the Greater Chico Homeless Task Force. They are
informed community members that want to help and continue to make Chico a great place to live, visit,
and enjoy. On Tuesday, March 26 the Council has dedicated an entire meeting to the Clean and Safe
Initiative.
It is not illegal to be homeless. We do have laws regarding lodging (647e PC), aggressive and
deceptive solicitation (9.54 CMC), and camping (9.20.030 CMC). We do not have sit and lie
ordinances in our City Municipal Code but the conversation has started to consider them.
We do not have civic restoration facilities, wet shelters or shelters where animals are accepted. We do
have transitional housing programs.
Brad Montgomery (Torres Shelter Executive Director) – We have transitional housing for families at
the Esplanade House. We do not have transitional housing options for individuals which is a much
larger percentage of our homeless population. We do have some housing permits for individuals but
not enough for the demand.
Lt. Gonzales – The following community groups are working on this topic and trying to make Chico
better:
• The Greater Chico Homeless task force - meets on the third Tuesday of the month
• Torres Shelter
• Jesus Center
• DCBA – Downtown Chico Business Association
• Chico Chamber of Commerce
• Chico Stewardship Network
• Butte County Behavioral Health
• Faith-based community
• Business community
• CSU Chico
• City Council
• City Departments
o Police Department
o Housing & Neighborhood Services
o Code Enforcement
o Parks Department
o General Services
Sor Lo – What is our current population of homeless?
Lt. Gonzales – A census was completed in January but we do not have the data yet.
Brad Montgomery – You mentioned that your department encounters homeless from other
communities and that is something we hear a lot. There are gaps in our services; a viable concern from
our community members is - if we fill those gaps, will we be even more of an inviting community to
outsiders? Does the Police Department believe that our services draw outside homeless citizens or
California weather, etc.?
Lt. Gonzales - Probably not; we generally do not receive complaints on individuals that seek out and
utilize available services. The DCBA and Chamber working in conjunction with the Clean & Safe
Chico movement are launching the “Redirection of giving” campaign to deter panhandling in Chico.
The campaign will target the general public and students about why it is better to give to service
providers instead of giving money directly to panhandlers.
Citizen – Is this downtown anti-social behavior a growing problem? Do we have statistics on rate of
growth?
Lt. Gonzales – We do not have rate of growth. Last year we had 250 complaints about camping and
960 calls for service on transients. This year from January 1 – February 20 we had 18 camping
complaints and 140 complaints about transients which would put us pretty close to last year’s numbers
if we do not see an increase in complaints.
The Police Department does still have the HELP program for family reunification. If the homeless
citizen is interested in reuniting with family and they have family members willing to accept them, the
program will pay for their travel expenses to get to their family.
Charlie Preusser – This is not a new complaint. There is also a problem with the cleanliness of
downtown.
Bill Mash - Came to town when the Police Department was breaking up the TARGET Team. Do we
have any numbers or feel for how much that has impacted the Police Department for the last four
months? I feel like we do not have enough police presence downtown to address the major issues in
that area.
Lt. Gonzales – TARGET focused on the quality of life for the community and I don’t know if that
quantitative. We could not tell you the amount of calls that they could eliminate by fixing a single
problem, there is no way to predict those numbers.
Bill Mash – The police have reported that at some point, the amount of police reports have gone down
and it is believed that is because there are less police officers to take reports. Is that true?
Lt. Gonzales – We no longer take reports on some incidents that we used to take reports on. We
changed our report writing standards. We’ve had to adjust a lot of things that we do due to staffing.
Benson – Asked about the street ambassadors program.
Jiovanni Tricerri – Good will ambassador program will meet on tomorrow at 7pm in the Old
Municipal building. Anybody 18 and over can participate in the program. It is an opportunity for
citizens to become more engaged in the downtown area. It will be a team of people on the streets
during the day and early evening - “Hospitality Team” to provide positive and good will messages to
merchants, visitors, and students to elevate the dialog downtown. There will be a small team that will
engage with transients to discuss what our community expectations and responsibilities are that we
have for each other.
Topic: Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) by Lt. Dye
Quite often the people we deal with in the downtown area have behavioral health issues. The Crisis
Intervention Team is a collaboration of behavior health professionals, law enforcement, and members
of the community. A catch phrase for CIT is “Cops I Trust”.
What is crisis intervention training? Once a year in February, a 40 hour class is held at Butte College.
Our department started by only sending law enforcement officers; our TARGET Team members were
the first to complete the course. During training, officers/students are learning about behavioral health
issues and common diagnosis they may come across. During the class they may be taught what a
person with a bi-polar disorder may look like or have demonstrated to them how a person with
schizophrenia experiences their day, by having someone walk behind the student whispering in their
ear. Part of the training is an expansion on verbal tactics that law enforcement personnel already use.
How to more effectively talk to someone who is in crisis. Certain questions asked non-judgmentally
will sometimes put a person in crisis at ease. What is your diagnosis? What medications are you
taking? Sometimes they are relieved to hear those types of questions because they feel like someone
understands them. So far, we have put over 20 employees in our department through the training; not
only officers but Dispatchers, Records Techs, Community Services Officers, and School Resource
Officers. We are trying to get as many employees in the training as possible but we have had to cut
back due to budget constraints. Several law enforcement agencies in Butte County have sent
employees to this training including Butte County Jail. Butte County Behavioral Health and Enloe
Hospital have also sent their employees.
The CIT steering committee meets quarterly to discuss issues that are faced by all components affected
by behavioral health. When the Enloe head charge nurse comes to speak at a future PCAB meeting,
she talk about their struggles in the emergency department. Meeting quarterly allows everyone to
discuss and hear what is going on with each agency.
One benefit of CIT training is when we have a person causing a lot of calls for service; we can assign a
CIT officer to that person to attempt to mitigate the problem. The CIT officer could try to get a
conservatorship for the person or find some other way to help by getting to know them and their
situation.
That was a quick overview of the program. It is fairly new in Chico but it has been around in other
communities for a while.
Charlie Preusser – Is this training part of the curriculum at the police academy?
Lt. Dye – We would love to have this training be part of the police academy but there is not enough
room to include it. The academy is already 26 weeks (6 months) long and they have had to sacrifice
physical fitness to cram more training in.
Bill Mash – What happens when a call comes in and there is no CIT trained officer available?
Lt. Dye – It would be handled by a regular patrol officer. A misconception is we have to send a CIT
trained officer to deal with a mentally distressed person but that is not true because all of our officers
have training in different verbal skills called tactical communications. CIT is not a substitute for the
criminal process; we will deal will the criminal aspect first but we will identify the behavioral health
issues. A behavioral health specialist once said that sometimes sending a person to jail is a way to get
them introduced into the mental health system.
Benson – When a mentally ill person’s bad behavior becomes illegal behavior, do officers have
discretion to send through the court system or behavioral health?
Lt. Dye – We do have discretion but it always depends on the situation. If arrested, the jail would be
made aware of behavioral health concerns and the DA would also have access to that information in
order to decide the best course of action. On a small matter, there have been times when we have
chosen to place someone on a 5150 hold instead of charging them.
Stephanie Taber – For a person who is in crisis, where do take them?
Lt. Dye – If we are dealing with just a behavioral health issue, they would be placed on a 5150 hold
and taken to the Enloe Hospital emergency room. It is supposed to be a 72 hour detention but that is if
they are transferred to Butte County Behavioral Health for assessment
Citizen – Do you have problems with Enloe emergency having enough room?
Lt. Dye – That is a challenge. Depending on their state of agitation, they can lash out and cause
injuries. We try to call ahead to make sure there is a room available or made available.
NEXT MEETING:
Date:
Wednesday, April 17, 2013 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm
Location:
Old Municipal Building – 441 Main Street
Topic:
Impacts of Mental Health at Butte County Jail by Captain Andy Duch
Chico Police Department
Police Community Advisory Board
April 17, 2013
Minutes
LOCATION: Old Municipal Building – 441 Main Street
BOARD MEMBERS NOT PRESENT: Chief Trostle, Ryan Patten, Jiovanni Terriceri, Drew
Calandrella
PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION:
Topic: Mental Health Service in the Butte County Jail by Captain Andy Duch & Marriage
Family Therapist Debbie Saeger
Captain Duch and MFT Saeger gave a brief overview of mental health services available at Butte
County Jail. They addressed misconceptions and advised the level of care given in jail is potentially
better than what is received or available outside of jail.
I.
Butte County Jail - Mental Health Staff
A. California Forensic Medical Group – Butte County Jail contracts with them and they
employ the medical staff at the jail. $250,000 per month of tax dollars are spent to provide
medical and mental health care at the jail.
B. Board certified psychiatrist – Dr. Baker does the vast majority of his work through
telepsych – live feed secure video conferencing between doctors and patients
C. Marriage Family Therapist – Debbie Saeger
D. Registered Nurses with mental health training
E. Discharge Planner
II.
Booking – a nursing professional obtains:
A. Patient information to determine if there is mental health history
B. Current treatment, including:
1.
Current prescriptions; always verified
2.
Diagnoses
3.
Current behaviors that indicate a need for referral to mental health staff
C. Information regarding suicidal inmates
1.
They are immediately evaluated
2.
Suicide watch is implemented if the patient is at risk for self-harm
3.
May be further evaluated by Butte County Behavioral Health Crisis Team
4.
Once the watch is discontinued, follow-ups with MH staff are scheduled
III.
Medication
A. Current status for all medications reported by the patient are verified with the pharmacy
B. If medications are current, they are continued until assessed by the psychiatrist
1.
The jail receives several complaints about not continuing medication
2.
If medication cannot be verified, it is not continued
C. If the psychiatrist determines the medication is not appropriate, the patient will be
prescribed an alternative medication
D. The majority of mental health drugs prescribed in the U.S. are prescribed by General
Practitioners/Family doctors not psychiatrists
IV.
Suicide Watch
A. In a typical month, approximately 50 inmates will be placed on suicide watch
B. There have been a couple of successful suicides in jail but 95% fail
C. Most common manner of attempt suicides is hanging
D. Inmates on suicide watch:
1.
Are placed in a single cell called the “sobering cell” in the front of the jail
2.
Are checked on every 15 minutes
3.
Wear a special garment, like a quilted blanket with shoulder straps – all Velcro
4.
Usually only last hours, not days
Sor Lo – Asked about the percentage of Hmong in Jail.
Captain Duch – The demographics of jail population is very similar to the demographics of Butte
County. The percentage of black, white, Asian, mentally ill, etc. is relatively the same inside jail as
out.
Debbie Saeger – The jail has an interpreter service available 24 hours a day. The entire mental health
evaluation is done by speaker phone for inmates in need of an interpreter.
Al Renville – What about repeaters, do you have folks that come in just for services?
Captain Duch – Absolutely, and they will tell you that. They will say, “I get free dental care and that
is why I came back.” They get three meals a day and a warm place to sleep in jail. The part about jail
that is most attractive to repeat offenders is structure and rules. They may be incapable of generating
self-control but they can follow the rules of an institution. This is the environment where they feel at
home.
It is possible to get in trouble when you are in jail. We do not have disciplinary isolation because there
are not enough cells to do that. Disciplinary isolation would be taking away all the inmate’s privileges
except those required by law. At Butte County Jail there is administrative segregation (single celled)
for those that are a danger to themselves or others ~ “profoundly mentally ill.”
Debbie Saeger – Butte County Jail implemented a “socialization program” to educate inmates about
socialization. It is part of a state requirement for cognitive stimulus. There is a circular table in MFT
Saeger’s office where inmates have the option to participate in a variety of activities. They will often
create things for their families which will lead them to speak about their family in an environment
where they are not in therapy. Magazines and Butte College catalogs are available for view and
discussion. What has been surprising is the increase of participation with custody staff which has
created a social atmosphere for inmates that do not normally speak to anyone all day. The program
allows interactions that are vital.
Kathleen Lydon – What is the ratio of men to women?
Captain Duch – We have 88 full female beds. There are 1,300 people in custody at any given time in
Butte County; the jail can hold 614; 200 or so are under alternative custody supervision - some serve
jail time at home, take classes, or search for jobs while in “jail”; 300-400 people are in the Sheriff’s
Work Alternative Program (SWAP).
There are 14 different types of inmates. Many would kill each other if placed adjacent to each other.
Administration has to be careful of how to classify inmates and they must try to protect inmates from
being exploited by other inmates. The facility is well managed; we have a high success rate of keeping
the inmates safe and low staff assaults. The facility is very clean and the inmates are pretty happy
because the staff is happy. Staff to inmate ratio: sometimes 4 officers will oversee about 90-100
inmates. We are looking at expanding the jail within the next 20 years. It would be a 3 to 4 year
project and we are applying for a $40 million grant for the expansion.
Mayor Goloff - How often does somebody who is incarcerated see a therapist?
Debbie Saeger - Those who need behavioral health therapy on a regular basis are generally seen once
a week or once every ten days. Follow-up is 30 days after, if still in custody. The appointments range
from 10 to 30 minutes. The majority of people getting outside help (ex: being seen by a psychiatrist)
generally have appointments every 3 months or so and are seen by their actual provider once a year.
Jail has stepped up efforts regarding mental health. If we have someone on suicide watch or who is
having active psychosis they will see the doctor immediately and on a regular basis.
Captain Duch - Overall, the typical length of stay is 5 years for inmates. We are dealing with facility
that was designed to hold people for a few weeks or months. That is why we are trying to expand our
jail and make it as prison-like as possible because logistically the current facility/structure is outdated
and insufficient to deal with the amount of incoming inmates.
Al Renville - Why do you feel the number of mental health patients have increased over the years?
Debbie Saeger – Outside resources have diminished; Behavioral Health and outpatient services have
suffered many cuts. Mentally ill who need resources, medication, or housing fall to the side. Jail
sometimes is the only stabilizer for these people who decide to commit crimes to get the resources they
need.
Captain Duch - The jail will call in a 30 day supply of medication when the inmate is released but
they cannot see a psychiatrist for 3 months. They will attempt to see a general practitioner to continue
their medication but the doctor may not prescribe what they need. The system does not have enough
doctors or psychiatrists to deal with the needs of mentally ill. That is why inmates are receiving far
better care when incarcerated then they are on the outside.
We have a mentorship program that needs community support. Mentors help guide released inmates
through daily activities that they may not be able to do on their own. Mentors can take them shopping,
help with paperwork, give rides to and from work, get them into housing, help them obtain a GED and
much more.
Mayor Goloff – What resources are available for recovering addicts?
Captain Duch & Debbie Saeger - There are several programs available to those out on alternative
custody. In custody, there are classes to address drug and alcohol issues (AA & NA). Treatment
programs are essential. Interested inmates fill out an addiction workbook and receive one on one
counseling to address their particular addiction.
Bill Mash – Do you have any idea of how many people released end up homeless?
Captain Duch – There is no real data on that issue.
Citizen – How is prison realignment (AB109) affecting the jail?
Captain Duch - Nobody comes to Butte County Jail from prison. Prisoners are paroled when released
from prison and they are supposed to report to Butte County Probation, which is called Post Release
Community Supervision (PRCS). When the parolee violates their parole, they are sent to BC Jail.
That is how the jail inherits them. There are 80-90 parole violators at BC Jail and 140 people who
have been sentenced to prison and doing their sentence in BC Jail.
Charlie Preusser – When a person is prescribed drugs for mental health issues, do they have a choice
to take them?
Debbie Saeger & Captain Duch – Absolutely, anyone can refuse the medication. They cannot
“cheek” the medication (put it in their mouth and not swallow). If a person is profoundly ill and
cannot care for themselves, jail staff has to obtain a court order to give medication. When someone is
assigned medication, they must sign a consent form that describes specific side effects.
Stephanie Taber – How many inmates are mentally ill?
Captain Duch & Debbie Saeger - Of the 600, about half receive some sort of prescribed medication
and 10% receive prescription psychotropic (mental health) medications. The estimate is 20 - 30% of
the population.
NEXT MEETING:
Date: Wednesday, May 15, 2013 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm
Location: Old Municipal Building – 441 Main Street
Topic: Open meeting
Chico Police Department
Police Community Advisory Board
May 15, 2013
Minutes
LOCATION: Old Municipal Building – 441 Main Street
CITIZEN INPUT/NEIGHBORHOOD INPUT:
Charlie Preusser – What is the progress on upgrading the computer systems at the Police
Department?
Chief Trostle – We have a committee within the department that is accessing and viewing
demonstrations on several different vendors for CAD/RMS systems. The committee will pick the top
three then we will need to find funding. Depending on the cost, we may potentially lease a system.
Ken Fleming - Has the Noise Ordinance review taken place?
Chief Trostle – Lt. Dye gave a presentation in March and provided data about what we are
experiencing. We have seen differences in locations where citations are issued for noise.
Citizen - Is there any update to the staffing level at the Police Department? I heard several positions
are going to be left unfilled.
Chief Trostle – We have 71 funded Police Officers this fiscal year with 4 vacancies and 4 off on
medical leave which leaves us with 63. The challenges that we face because of reduced staff is the
need to eliminate special assignments like Traffic and TARGET to have enough officers to cover
Patrol shifts. Our total authorized sworn staff is 94 which includes the Chief, Captains, Lieutenants
and Sergeants but with current vacancies we actually have 86 sworn.
Paul Bailey – What would be a comfortable amount of officers for Chico?
Chief Trostle – An educated guess internally would be 82 officers to fully staff our shifts and to bring
back TARGET, Traffic, Gang Unit and Street Crimes. Working on a performance based staffing
model/formula from a Michigan State University’s study, it was determined the number of officers
Chico PD should potentially have is around 140. There are several variables and tangible data used to
plug into the formula.
Jiovanni Tercerri – Of the four Police Officers out on medical leave, how many are expected to
leave? How many current officers are expected to retire?
Chief Trostle – We expect two on medical leave to retire and four officers to retire before the end of
the year.
Ken Fleming – According to the performance based formula, Chico PD needs 144 officers, is that
based on crime statistics and calls for service?
Chief Trostle – Yes, it is based on community calls for service. Not any proactive calls like traffic
stops or probation searches. The last five year average is 61,000 calls from citizens. About 52% of
those calls require 2 or more officers to respond.
Ken Fleming – Chico has a very unusual demographic, how well does that formula apply to us?
Chief Trostle – There are variables like how long does it take for an officer to handle a call. The
International Association of Police Chief’s determined it takes about 45 minutes to handle one call for
service. The 20 different departments the Federal Cops along with Michigan State studied had several
different variables. Our Planning Department determined it takes an hour for an officer to handle an
annexation call. Chico PD officers take about 39 minutes on average to handle a call. We are going to
be looking at the data for each shift on every day of the week.
Ken Fleming – The decision about how many Police Officers the Council funds must be done in a
legitimate way.
Citizen - Are there enough officers to respond to calls? Is the situation of not being able to respond to
critical incidents becoming more frequent?
Chief Trostle - I think that situation has become more frequent over the last couple of years. When
multiple critical incidents are happening at the same time, a choice has to be made as to which ones
can be responded to immediately. It may not be a daily event but there is some frequency to it that we
haven’t seen in the past.
Charlie Preusser – In a situation like that, could you notify the University Police?
Chief Trostle – We do reach out to them and when they are available, they will respond. We can’t
rely on them to always be there because they usually only have one or two officers working and they
need to protect the campus. We do contact the Butte County Sheriff’s Office and CHP to request
assistance when we are dealing with multiple incidents.
Mayor Goloff – On another topic, the Chief had a conversation with the Chico Unified School District
about sharing in the cost of School Resource Officers (SRO). The City has been paying for Police
Officers to work at the schools for over 15 years. I can’t stress strongly enough the need to speak to
school board members about sharing the cost with the City because we cannot afford to pull multiple
officers off of Patrol to deal with school issues. As the Mayor, I would appreciate your support.
Ken Fleming – What are the priorities? What other needs are out there? We need some sort of
complete planning process to access our needs or they will be made in the political arena.
Mayor Goloff – I do not disagree with that. We should look more thoroughly at defining the role of
the SRO’s and the cost benefits.
Chief Trostle – An example that we have right now is our graveyard A Team of four Officers and one
Sergeant because two team members are off on medical leave. After B Team secures at 2am there are
only four Officers available until 7am. Recently, an Officer called in sick so there were only three
Officers and one Sergeant to patrol the streets of Chico. When I have to make decisions about staffing
allocations there are a lot of demands. Is it better to have three officers dedicated to the schools during
the day or fully staff a shift that is below minimum staffing?
Ken Fleming – Can you update us on the alcohol abuse dialog?
Chief Trostle – The Council will be looking at a Social Host Ordinance and the Alcohol Compliance
& Education (ACE) program. ACE would be looked at as a tax and would need to be voted on by the
community. A fee would be charged to the alcohol outlets and used to fund a dedicated Alcohol
Beverage Control (ABC) Officer.
Another component I am bringing to the Council is changing public policy as it relates to alcohol
licenses within the City of Chico. The Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) has
established one alcohol license for every 2,500 inhabitants. Our census tracts (a geographic area) are
oversaturated and I am recommending to Council to not approve new alcohol licenses and different
conditions on other types of requests regarding alcohol licenses. In order to change some of the
dynamics of alcohol abuse, this is how I feel I can do my part. There is research out there that says,
the more alcohol outlets you have, the higher the occurrence of crime and violence.
Charlie Preusser – Why not talk about prescription drugs? They are commonly mixed with alcohol
and I feel they are more problematic regarding negative behavior and harm to the user.
Chief Trostle – There are prescription drug turn ins and the Sheriff’s Department recently had one
where several pounds of prescription drugs were turned in. Our Officers will arrest those that are
caught with drugs without a proper prescription. The Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF)
works cases that are prescription drug related. That was a focus of our Street Crimes Unit. There
needs to be a community outcry. Most of our arrests are alcohol related.
Ken Fleming – Wants to support the Chief in his decision to restrict alcohol licenses in the City of
Chico.
Jiovanni Tricerri – What options does the City have to set limits and restrictions on alcohol licenses?
Chief Trostle – The department of ABC can still approve requests for licenses. They will look at what
the community social norm is and follow what the community has suggested.
Ken Fleming – Cities need to make the decision to take action. A while back a suggestion was made
to the Council to tax alcohol. Alcohol taxes have not been raised in decades, it’s just too cheap.
Captain MacPhail - Social Host Ordinance: There are over 100 of these ordinances in the state. They
are a means to attaching a sanction to somebody that is allowing underage drinking at a party.
NEXT MEETING:
Date/Time: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm
Location: Old Municipal Building – 441 Main Street
Topic: Impacts of behavioral health at Enloe Medical Center presentation by Stacy Vincent
Chico Police Department
Police Community Advisory Board
June 19, 2013
Minutes
LOCATION: Old Municipal Building – 441 Main Street
CITIZEN INPUT/NEIGHBORHOOD INPUT:
Charlie Preusser – Does the Police Department have a position on the proposed Sit and Lie
Ordinance?
Captain MacPhail – The Police Department does not have a position. We have been directed to work
with staff. The Council directed the City Attorney’s office to research the topic.
Tray Robinson – It was nice to see community support of the Police Department at last night’s
Council meeting.
Captain MacPhail – The Chief requested that I share a little of what happened at yesterday’s all day
budget meeting. The goal of passing a budget did happen; the Police Department was slated to lose 10
sworn & 4 non-sworn positions. The Council directed staff to find funding for 6 of the 10 sworn
positions. The details of how that will be accomplished have not been worked out yet. We will still
lose our Crime Analyst position, Animal Control Supervisor, and 3 Community Service Officer
positions.
Paul Bailey – Asked about overtime budget.
Captain MacPhail – When preparing to meet our budget reduction goal, the management team
discussed overtime. The decision was made to eliminate several collateral assignments/duties that are
accomplished through overtime.
Kathleen Lydon – What changes in officer safety do we need to look at due to less staff?
Captain MacPhail – Lt. Gonzales along with command staff has to continually adjust our Patrol
deployment. It happens all the time because when Officers get hurt and there is not enough staff on a
shift adjustments need to be made.
Kathleen Lydon – How is the University involved in solving problems with repeat student offenders?
Councilman Randall Stone – The University has been involved in the planning of the Social Host
ordinance and Alcohol Compliance & Education (ACE) concept.
Captain MacPhail – Campus Alcohol & Drug Education Center (CADEC) is a very active
organization on campus and they are involved in current issues like Labor Day. The new Student
Body President has met with all City department heads and the Mayor. She has been attending Town
& Gown meetings which have representatives from City government and the student body. The
meetings are open to the public and are currently held (subject to change) on the fourth Monday of the
month at 5:30pm in Room 1 of the Council Chambers; students do attend these meetings. A new
recognized student organization S.A.V.E. – Students Against Violence Everywhere is coming up with
projects/initiatives to make a difference.
Charlie Preusser – Believes that 40% of students that live in Chico go to Butte College; do they
attend Town & Gown meetings?
Al Renville – Yes, the Police Chief and Student Body President attend the meetings.
Charlie Preusser – Students bring money into the community.
Paul Bailey – That does not justify their behavior and the need to spend over $1 million dollars of
resources for a half square mile every year.
Tray Robinson – Often times, people make the assumption that all young people are college students
but if you look at Chico’s arrest statistics, the majority are from out of town. Many students on
campus take offense to the fact that everybody blames them for all the problems. This year we are
really looking at the message we are sending to our students and we want them to know that we value
them as part of our community as citizens. We are planning a social event at Downtown Plaza; you
should be hearing about more events like these in the future. We all need to be part of the solution.
PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION:
Topic: Behavioral Health in the Healthcare System by Stacy Vincent, Nurse Manager of Enloe
Emergency Services
I. The Demand
A. One in five Americans will experience a mental illness or substance use disorder in a
given year.
B. Nearly 50% of all Americans will develop a mental illness during their lifetime.
1. Of that 50%, 5% of Americans suffer severe mental illness that interferes with
day-to-day school, work, or family
2. 50% of people diagnosed with mental illness also suffer from substance abuse
C. The following are other common diseases Americans are affected by:
1. 33% will develop a heart attack
2. 20% will develop a smoking related disease
3. 8% will develop diabetes
D. Primary Care Physicians are unable to adequately detect and manage behavioral health
conditions independently. Factors include:
1. Time constraints
2. Multiple medical conditions
II. The Result
A. Emergency Departments have become the default place for individuals with behavioral
health needs.
B. Emergency Departments are treating more patients than psychiatric providers are
treating.
III. What Happens in the Emergency Department?
A. Patient arrives in the Emergency Department with a psychiatric emergency.
B. Patient receives a medical screening evaluation.
C. Patient receives a psychiatric evaluation and subsequent follow-up care is arranged.
IV. What Actually Happens in the Emergency Department?
A. Patients are brought in by Law Enforcement, pre-hospital crews, family, etc.
B. Butte County Emergency Personnel are called to make their specially trained
assessment, take history, make a clinical decision and determine medical stability.
C. The medically stable patient with a behavioral crisis lingers in the Emergency
Department waiting for a crisis evaluation.
D. The crisis evaluation occurs and medical stability is verified.
E. Admission criteria for a Psychiatric Health Facility:
1. Patient must be conscious and able to communicate
2. Client must be able to walk or self-propel and transfer in a wheelchair
3. Gait and balance must be stable
4. Vital sign parameters must be met
5. Labs that need to be taken:
a. CBC
b.
Chemistry panel
c. Utox
d.
Blood alcohol
e. TSH
f.
EKG
g.
Chest x-ray
h.
Other reports as appropriate
F. The patient continues to linger in the Emergency Department waiting for a bed or ride.
V. Impact on the Emergency Department
A. Enloe Medical Center Emergency Department evaluates and treats an average 970
patients per year for Behavioral Health reasons.
B. Average length of stay for such a patient is 6½ hours which is equivalent to evaluating
and treating an additional 1991 patients with a medical emergency.
C. Mental Illness now accounts for 6-10% of visits.
D. Little to no resources are available in the Emergency Department for these patients.
E. Staff are not trained and feel ill prepared to help.
F. Physicians are not authorized to implement or rescind 5150 applications.
G. Emergency Departments cannot hold/force vulnerable patients to stay.
H. Emergency staff do not possess the skills and abilities to meet the needs of the patient
with mental illness.
I. The Emergency Department environment does not promote healing for patients with
mental illness.
VI. Impact on the Patient
A. When someone is experiencing a behavioral health crisis, they need a calm and soothing
environment and someone who is specially trained to listen to them.
B. What the person gets when they come to the Emergency Department is a very busy and
noisy environment where they come in contact with many people prior to seeing a
doctor. This is the worst environment during a behavioral health crisis.
C. Hospital staff sees themselves as friendly and helpful care providers. A patient in crisis
views staff as strange, masked aliens that are trying to harm them.
VII.
What can we do?
A. It has been recognized that we will build better services for our patients with mental
illness through alliance not alienation.
B. More training and education in mental health and crisis is needed for law enforcement
and the medical community.
C. Build relationships with all entities affected by behavioral health.
D. At the hospital:
1. Provide consistent guidelines for staff
2. Minimize danger
3. Provide a safe working environment
4. Request law enforcement remain until patients have been safely secured
5. Sequester and secure personal belongings
6. Place patients in hospital gowns to expedite the medical screening process and
to ensure the patients safety
E. Continue collaboration with Butte County Behavioral Services to improve the processes
that link our organizations in effort to:
1. Improve patient care
2. Improve staff satisfaction
Tray Robinson – (Unable to hear question).
Stacy Vincent – Enloe is fortunate enough to have 24-hour security and they do support us
significantly. We do ask them to stay long enough to allow us to us gain control of the patient.
Benson – Do you notice patients coming directly from Butte County Jail?
Stacy Vincent – We do see that happen. When they are in jail, patients are receiving medical care.
When they get released, those resources go away. It does create the revolving door effect.
Citizen – Lives in the neighborhood near the hospital and has noticed people coming out of the
hospital, wondering in yards, and very irate. What happens when this occurs and what can be done to
prevent it?
Stacy Vincent – Hospital staff will attempt to get them back in the hospital but if the person is out of
control, we will call 9-1-1.
NEXT MEETING:
Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2013 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm
Location: Old Municipal Building – 441 Main Street
Topic: Role of the Police Department in Responding to Behavioral Health Incidents
CHICO POLICE DEPARTMENT POLICE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD
AUGUST 21, 2013
Minutes LOCATION: Old Municipal Building – 441 Main Street BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Kirk Trostle, Mary Goloff, Drew Calandrella, Paul Bailey, Ryan Patten, Tray Robinson, Randall Stone, Kathleen Lydon, Sor Lo NOT PRESENT: Allen Renville, Jovanni Tricerri OPENING COMMENTS: Ryan opened the meeting at 5:30 and reminded attendees the meeting is limited to one hour. Mary Goloff shared her appreciation for the PCAB meetings. PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION: TOPIC: ROLE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN RESPONDING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INCIDENTS Opening Comments: Chief Trostle advised that over the past several months several presentations and educational information has been presented to the advisory board regarding Behavioral Health Incidents. Chief – What is the goal of the Police Dept (PD) on Behavioral Health (BH) incidents; Should PD respond to BH incidents? Ryan Patten– Ryan provided two handouts that reference programs used by the City of Seattle. Ryan suggested that Seattle has an effective model in place that could possibly be used in Chico. Seattle recognized their BH issues were a “community wide” problem that involved the PD, BH, medical personnel, and the business community. Tourism and the business community were affected by the BH and homeless issues. Seattle developed a 10 year plan to eliminate the homelessness issues. Seattle is approaching year 8 of their 10 year plan, and falling short of their goals, yet the program is successful. PD, BH, medical, and the business community collaborated to find a solution. Part of the 10 year plan: City/Federal funded house for homeless. Drinking is allowed & transportation is provided to liquor stores, etc. Seattle estimates this solution has reduced the public safety cost to tax payers by 50%. Seattle also has a Sit & Lie ordinance in place. Citz Bill – Does Seattle attempt to change the resident/participant’s lifestyle (since they can drink, etc.) Ryan – Treatment, mental health (MH) & alcohol programs are offered, although not forced or required as a condition of residency. Citz Bill – Inquired how the housing placement is determined Ryan – To Ryan’s knowledge, Seattle (city of 500k residents) placed their facility at the peripheral north edge of town. The property was purchased with grant money by the City and serves 95 occupants/participants. Citz Bill – Clarifying if most calls of BH are homeless people. Ryan ‐ Homeless, alcohol, MH are blended into one approach. Seattle focused on the indivuduals with a history of frequent police and hospital reponse. Program provided overall cost reduction for Seattle PD. Citz Bill ‐ Frustrated that PD is having to respond for social work incidents Citz – Does PD receive grant money as a first responder? Chief – Grant funding has specific actions (restrictions on the use of the dollars, specific to the Grant) The PD currently does not have any BH grants. Randall Stone ‐ Need to find other ways to address homelessness, etc. The process is started. We need to reduce the use of the most expensive resource. Mary ‐ Her recent experience is abstract, through city staff, policy makers, etc. Mary hasn’t really familiarized with the actual issues. Mary signed up to be downtown ambassador. She encourages other people interested in these issues to make a commitment. Tray – Agrees PD shouldn’t respond to every single call, some type of collaborative approach is necessary to develop a solution. Appreciates Seattle developing a level of accountability and recognizing the community issue. Kathleen – Doesn’t believe every issue, on the initial call, should go to PD. She believes it’s a current standard since PD is quick to respond and they’re trained for physical issues. This is a community based effort. Who will respond 24/7? There has to be a planned transition. Drew‐ If a MH issue, danger to life, PD needs to respond. Short of that, should not be a police call. If the individual has no car, no transportation, who helps those individuals? Randall – Clarifying that Butte Mental Health (BMH) does not have a response team. BMH confirmed that is correct, due to safety issues for responders. They would like to develop a plan in partnership with law enforcement. Mary – 7 to 8 years ago we had the “search” (sp?) team for response BMH ‐ Search was a statewide effort funded by AB203. Specific funding was targeted for outreach/engagement with homeless. Funding was withdrawn when Prop 63 passed. A team would discuss individuals that generated frequent service calls and determine an appropriate response. BMH – A 124million grant just passed designed to enhance crisis services/residential services and provide additional funding for triage workers/training. This is a competitive state wide grant. BMH requested everyone to hang on a few months, work with them, and they will work with Lt. Dye. They would like to develop a sensible response to frequent calls for service, and feel it’s necessary to partner/collaborate over money, resources, and training. Tray‐ Could BMH train their staff to respond? BMH – Cannot send staff to an unsecure scene Chief – Is there a need for PD to respond to every BH incident? Examples: Individual experiencing a MH crisis and would like to do voluntary, is it necessary for PD to provide ride to the PHF unit because the individual is in crisis? Does the community want the PD to provide that service? Example: Call to dispatch, overdose – no firearms, etc. PD response or medical aide? Obviously if knife/gun, PD needs to participate. Otherwise, the majority are MH calls for service. What are your thoughts Lydon – Of those that need ride to unit, how many would an officer need to be there for safety reasons? L Dye – For the majority are self‐help calls that need transporation, the challenge is where to take them. The crisis unit is often full. Should the individual be directed to the crisis Talk Line? Lydon – Need to develop triage unit to route appropriate individual/caller needs to the appropriate personnel. Someone that is familiar if there is potential for violence. BMH‐How do you know when a call will turn? This is part of police emergency response. You can’t predict when a call will turn violent. Chief – To BMH – What is your perspective on 5150 content that states “may” detain, doesn’t say “shall” BMH – protect those held unlawfully, not medical. It’s a civil rights protection code for those with mental challenges, being held against their will. There has to be cause to transport against will. Chief‐ There is no legal code that mandates PD to be involved in MH business? BMH – Correct, there is no requirement Charlie – We have systems to handle health care, we don’t have a system to handle mental health Isn’t that where we’re taking the discussion? Citz‐ If a person is in crisis the number one issue is safety of individual. Feels that is what PD is paid for Citz Shelley/TLC Living – Why can a court mandated individual leave an assigned facility and PD cannot return the individual, if they do not meet 5150 at time of contact. Shelley has to personally respond to the City Plaza and try to get the individual back. There is not an equal share of concern for the elderly, mentally ill, or gravely disabled. This is a disservice and not preventative. The court mandated individual has to be causing a problem or a victim for the judge’s order to be enforced. Why is there no preventative intervention? Randall – Back to discussion: should PD address MH issues? Two organizations haven’t been able to come together to make it work. There has to be a successful model. The limit is lack of funding and the need to develop the concept. Citz – Believes Pensacola has on outreach program that law enforcement and social worker team up together and interact with the homeless. This has solved several of their issues. BMH‐Modesto has similar program. Sonoma Co just started theirs back up in Santa Rosa. Requires officer & social worker (officer has right to place hands on people). The program runs with either the officer and social worker doubled in one car, or the officer and social worker respond in separate vehicles (allowing officer to leave secure scene). BMH – Using an ambulance as a MH first responder is a possibility, would need to discuss further Randall – Domestic Violence response team responds with volunteers as well as paid staff BMH – peer worker response Ryan – Are there volunteers available from CSU Psych BMH – they have interns Citz Peer Counselor ‐Talk line service – peers that care, talk about anything. If the Talk Line receives a crisis, they transfer to crisis. Good is percentage of callers are people that want someone to listen and help process what is happening in their life. Survey conducted – showed operators listened with compassion (what the callers benefit from) and show concern for their caller. BMH – possibly an alternative, have dispatchers transfer to Talk Line Citz Peer Counselor ‐ Talk line has limited hours & training new operators. In process of branching out, slow process. NAMI rep ‐ Cathy: NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is the largest grass roots organization that navigates for families & individuals with mental illness. They offer Family to Family classes, a 5 week training course for providers, etc. Chief – We’re short resources, budget cuts, challenges. If we develop a work group, Who will lead? (Chief’s question to board) Lydon – would like to participate – not lead Randall – Could the work group be part of discussion with study session on downtown problems. Possible avenue to get started Chief – The work group needs to reach out to all organizations that are stake holders, ie: Downtown business Assoc, City Council, Homeless advocate group Randall – A meeting with all stake holders will need to take place in Council Chamber Charlie – School system possible resource? special ed teachers? Ryan – Possibly university has someone trained to facilitate this type of meeting Have 3rd party take lead Randall ‐ will take lead to bring forward to study session Meeting adjourned, 0629hrs. NEXT MEETING: Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 fro.m 5:30pm to 6:30pm Location: Old Municipal Building – 441 Main Street Topics: Chico Police Department Police Community Advisory Board September 18, 2013, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Old Municipal Building 441 Main Street Minutes BOARDMEMBERSPRESENT:
Kirk Trostle, Drew Calandrella, Paul Bailey, Ryan Patten, Tray Robinson, Randall Stone NOTPRESENT:
Sor Lo, Jovanni Tricerri, Kathleen Lydon, Allen Renville OPENINGCOMMENTS:
Ryan opened the meeting at 5:30 and reminded attendees the meeting is limited to one hour. Floor Questions/Comments:
Citz: Inquired how much the PD is investing in software for productivity? Chief: At the October 15 Council meeting Police is asking Council to consider a supplemental budget request to acquire Coplogic, a program which provides community members access to report crimes, document downloads, etc. The program would be set up to generate a case number and format reports for departmental review/distribution. The department currently looks at programs being used by other departments, although cost and funding is always a consideration. Randall Stone: Has requested Medidata be implemented City‐wide to allow transfer and tracking of information between City departments. Again, funding is the challenge. Citz Benson: Commented on an arrest he observed earlier during the month: Benson observed an officer quickly & efficiently subdue a person that was creating a problem. Benson commended the quick actions, although was concerned that the officer didn’t evaluate the mental state of the subject prior to detaining him. Benson also expressed concern about the number of officers that were at scene and lack of police protection in other areas of the City during this incident. Chief: Not knowing the details of the specific incident mentioned, it would be difficult to comment. The Chief provided an example of an incident and explained the duties of each officer present, to demonstrate the need for several officers on a single and similar type incident. Tray Robinson: During a Tuesday meeting the mental health and homeless issues on campus were mentioned. Tray suggested having the school systems present how they’re handling the issues and available resources. Board member inquired about the status of the mental health/homeless work group that was discussed at the previous PCAB meeting. See following insert for that section of minutes from 8/21/13 meeting: September18PCAB
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Chief – We’re short resources, budget cuts, challenges. If we develop a work group, Who will lead? (Chief’s question to board) Lydon – would like to participate – not lead Randall – Could the work group be part of discussion with study session on downtown problems. Possible avenue to get started Chief – The work group needs to reach out to all organizations that are stake holders, ie: Downtown business Assoc, City Council, Homeless advocate group Randall – A meeting with all stake holders will need to take place in Council Chamber Charlie – School system possible resource? special ed teachers? Ryan – Possibly university has someone trained to facilitate this type of meeting Have 3rd party take lead Randall ‐ will take lead to bring forward to study session Chief: October 22nd is the Council Study Session. The homeless and mental health issues will be discussed at that meeting. Beginning Floor Questions/Comments concluded
MEETINGTopic:PoliceDepartmentStaffing
Police Dept. Staffing presentation by Chief Trostle
Post Presentation: Chief: The department has succession planning in place and due to anticipated turnover, we expect the next three to five years to be a challenge. The department recently received approval for continuous recruitment. The standard candidate hiring process takes 5‐6 months to reach a job offer; the background alone takes approximately 2 months and the psych/physical are an additional month. After an individual is hired, they are in training for approximately 6 months. Beginning to end, it takes a year to fill a patrol position. Continuous recruitment will reduce this time by 3‐4 months, deploying an officer on the street in 8 to 9 mos. Chico PD’s last recruitment received 140 applicants and only two made it to the background phase. Chico Police Department maintains high standards and expectations, there are challenges in obtaining officers of that quality. September18PCAB
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Citz: In 2007 there were 102 sworn officers & now 84? How was it determined that 102 officers were necessary for a community of our size? Chief: Staffing models recommend 102 to 108 officers for a community of our size. Based on internal and professional opinion, we should have 87 funded officers. Our current sworn staff of 84 is not acceptable and we’re making due with what we have. As we’re rebuilding, we’re looking at changing what non‐sworn personnel handles to allow officers opportunity for proactive police work; probation & parole searches, citizen contacts, warrant services/arrests, drug enforcement, etc. Citz: Do the VIPS have new responsibilities? Chief: VIPS provide invaluable service. Due to risk and limited level of training, the VIPS are primarily used for maintaining barricades, crime scene assistance, vacation house checks, random patrol, found bikes, and similar tasks. The Citizens Police Academy provides the basic training and foundation for the volunteers. Paul Bailey (PCAB board member & VIP): The VIPS always need more help and it also provides opportunity for community involvement. The Citizens Police Academy is a great opportunity to develop a better idea of what the police department does and there is no requirement to become a VIP. The next academy starts in February, runs 15 weeks, one night a week, 3 hours each night. Some different topics covered in the academy: Use of force, SWAT Team, etc. The academy will start advertising in the Enterprise Record and the News and Review in January 2014. Lt Dye: The current number of active VIPS is 40‐50. We have 70 on the roster and are in constant evaluation of participation. The current economy has made it more difficult for individuals to volunteer due to other obligations of time and work. Citz: What are the department’s current challenges on retention? Chief: There is challenge with the current dynamics in the City and the budget. Department special teams have disbanded (Target, Traffic, Horses, etc) to provide patrol staffing. We are now a department that is only Patrol and Detectives. There is limited opportunity for officers to do other collateral duties. Collateral duties and opportunity are attractive to applicants that would like to pursue professional development. Butte Police Academy has provided feedback that candidates are now looking at other departments due to the limited opportunities at Chico, and looking at departments that are in an upswing. Citz: What makes an officer decide to stay or retire? Chief: There are concessions being asked of employees to start picking up a percentage of their benefits, when in the past a salary increase was traded off for that benefit. This is happening nationwide, and as officers near retirement age, why work for less money? Capt. Porter: As officers reach retirement age, the physical aspect of the job (fights, etc.) becomes a reality to officers. They ask themselves “can I not only protect myself, but also protect my partner, realistically and safely.” Chief: Police work takes a toll on the individual. It is a commitment unlike most in society. Shift work, graveyard, weekends/holidays, missed family events, these all take a personal toll. What an officer is exposed to during their career, the level of violence and trauma, the images are in the officers mind. You build emotional barriers that allow you to protect and guard the community. The physical requirements of the job, the injuries, the walls that are built, there comes a time an officer is done. September18PCAB
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Citz Taber: How does the pay scale of Chico compare to surrounding communities? Chief: Locally competitive, to some degree; Redding 10k more per year Capt. Porter: The bay area agencies are about 1500‐2000k more per mos (salary). The difficult part of recruiting is new recruits fresh out of the academy are looking at salary, not benefit packages. Also, the lack of opportunity in our department is a problem. Drew Callandrella: Looking at the numbers of anticipated retirements, the recruitment/training process, is there concern for loss and replacement? Chief: With continuous recruitment we should be able to maintain. In reality, to maintain 66 officers would depend on service and medical retirements. An example of current injuries and the impact on officer staffing, we only have 47 patrol officers right now, and 2 are looking at other departments. The challenge is we’ll drop below the minimum 66 officers as we are in the cycle of trying to keep officers coming in door. Due to the limited amount of training officers, only 4 trainees are allowed in the officer training program at the same time. We currently do not have any officers in the training program. Also, there is potential that as officers leave a detective position to return to patrol, the detective position will not be filled to allow maintenance of patrol staffing. We may drop to 4 detectives by early spring. September18PCAB
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Chico Police Department Police Community Advisory Board October 16, 2013, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Old Municipal Building 441 Main Street Minutes BOARDMEMBERSPRESENT:
Kirk Trostle, Paul Bailey, Ryan Patten, Randall Stone, Jovanni Tricerri, Sor Lo, Kathleen Lydon NOTPRESENT: Drew Calandrella, Tray Robinson, Allen Renville OPENINGCOMMENTS:
Ryan: Opened the meeting at 5:30 and reminded attendees the meeting is limited to one hour. Chief: Advised of Downtown Workshop, October 22, City Council Chamber, 6:30 pm Floor Questions/Comments:
Citz Pruser: Inquired if the recent Officer Involved Shooting could be placed on the November 20 agenda. Chief: There are items pending internal investigation, personnel records, review by City Attorney, etc. that may or may not be released or presented. Stone: Shootings were justified. These incidents place strain on the department and also present pending litigation. Chief: The City, as defendants, are unable to defend ourselves until we appear in court. Judgments are being made based on allegations. Stone: Would it be beneficial to obtain statistical data on officer involved incidents where it had the potential to, but did not result in, fatal shootings, etc.? Is there an increase of these type incidents? Jovanni: Is there an increase in threats toward officers? “Near” shootings? How are officers affected by these type of incidents? Chief: This item of discussion can be placed on the November 20 agenda. Bailey: Shared his frustration in regards to letters to the editor and/or the media not having all the facts. Decisions should be based on facts presented by both sides. Beginning Floor Questions/Comments concluded
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MEETINGTopic:PoliceDepartmentHalloweenStaffing
Police Dept. Staffing presentation by Lt. G. Laver
Halloween falls on a Thursday this year. The Department is expecting large crowds and a large number of out‐of‐town visitors/participants. All sworn staff are scheduled to work, with extra staffing scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Special event teams are formed and outside agencies will provide additional support. The Halloween/weekend plan includes extra DUI saturation patrol and the temporary holding facility will be staffed at the highest level to accommodate anticipated arrests. The Glass Free Zone will be in effect in the South Campus area Thursday night from 6 p.m. through Sunday morning. Due to budget cuts and officer reassignments to cover minimum staffing requirements, there will be no mounted enforcement representation by the City or outside agencies this year. Although the department will make due, the Mounted Enforcement Unit was a valuable tool for crowd control and movement. Halloween 2012 overtime costs were $53,000 plus $12,000 in “straight time” (due to the calendar day of Halloween 2012, this only required Friday and Saturday extra staffing). Halloween 2013 is projected at $75,000 for three full days of increased special event staffing (Thursday through Saturday). Citz: Are these additional costs part of the annual budget? Laver: Our budget contains a line item for special events overtime but the amount of overtime funds we have is not increased in order to fund special events. We tightly monitor our overtime throughout the year, although unexpected events require replacing officers on overtime to maintain minimum staffing levels. Jovanni: Is there any Butte College or Chico State Police collaboration for Halloween? Laver: Usually no on Butte College. CSU PD will have an operation plan for their department. Chico Police and CSU PD coordinate resources, along with Chico Fire and Enloe Hospital. As part of the collaboration with Enloe, an officer is assigned to the Enloe emergency room to monitor for any issues. Enloe Hospital provides a phlebotomist that is available to respond to the police department, as needed. Jovanni: Is there any cost recovery from citations? Individuals that hold parties? Laver: No. The City’s 2nd response ordinance hasn’t been used in 15 years. The way the City’s Municipal Code has been rewritten, the 2nd response ordinance may not be applicable any longer. These citations are not administrative. The cite goes to the court, the court processes, and the court collects/keeps the fines. If a citation is an administrative cite, the City would process and recoup the fine. When someone doesn’t take care of a citation the court can issue a warrant. On an administrative cite the City would have to use collections, etc. Stone: Are non‐sworn volunteers or ambassadors used for Halloween? October16,2013PCAB
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Laver: The police department is not working specifically with the Downtown Ambassadors. The Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) will be out providing assistance, watching patrol cars, officers backs, etc. The CSU volunteers will be checking in on parties and wear a red wristband and watch for students engaged in excessive drinking behaviors. JW Dobbe (Associated Student’s Community Representative): Chico State’s Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Center (CADEC) will have representatives out wearing red bands. Their representatives are CPR/First Aid certified. They are trained in dealing with drugs, intoxication, and how to facilitate a police or medical response. Prior to Halloween CADEC will conduct a walking inspection through the CSU and South Campus area, checking for any lighting or safety concerns. In an effort to resolve any issues prior to Halloween, CADEC will report any noted hazards to Lt. Laver. Citz Pruser: Mr. Pruser commented that the South Campus lighting project has not been completed. Mr. Pruser also shared his concern regarding the relationship between the South Campus area residents and Chico police officers. Mr. Pruser believes efforts need to be made to improve the relationship. Stone: Societal norms have changed and there are changes in respect for authority. Due to budget issues, where resources are spent is important. Meeting concluded at 6:30 p.m.
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