People living with mental illnesses and intellectual and developmental disabilities are disproportionately represented in contacts with police, which can lead to stressful and dangerous conditions for everyone involved. Now, through Serving Safely: The National Initiative to Enhance Policing for Persons with Mental Illnesses and Developmental Disabilities, law enforcement agencies can request help to respond safely and effectively to incidents involving these populations. This presentation provides an overview of the initiative (a partnership between the Vera Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Assistance), describes the types of assistance available, introduces the initiative’s multidisciplinary project team, and highlights new product development.
This announcement was supported by Grants No. 2016-MU-BX-K002 and 2016-MU-BX-K003 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
