Phoenix police assemble dedicated mental-health squad

Phoenix will create a crisis-intervention squad devoted to the city's mentally ill, a population that triggers about 4,000 court-ordered pickups for officers each year.

The seven-member squad will receive ongoing training and shoulder as many of the mental-health calls as possible, diverting pickups away from first responders, said Phoenix police Commander Michael Kurtenbach.

"We recognized that law enforcement is oftentimes ill-equipped to handle such a crisis unless we're given the tools in the training to try and mitigate the situation," he said. "The last thing we want to do is criminalize mental health."

The squad, announced by Police Chief Joseph Yahner last week, aims to reduce the odds of violence at the intersection of law enforcement and mental illness. Such interactions drew sharp scrutiny following last year's death of Phoenix resident Michelle Cusseaux, who was shot while officers were serving a mental-health pickup order. Police say Cusseaux had threatened officers at the door with a hammer.

Last month, Cusseaux's mother filed a $7 million wrongful death claim, alleging excessive force and inadequate officer training.

Cusseaux's death prompted the creation of a Mental Health Advisory Board, which meets quarterly with police and supports the new team. But Kurtenbach said the initiative addresses a scope of issues beyond the Cusseaux tragedy.

"In law enforcement, to be effective, we have to evolve. And we evolve by meeting the needs of a very diverse community," he said. "There have been certain incidents, locally and nationally, that have highlighted the need for us as a department to more effectively engage those that are in a crisis."

Squad members will work on a hybrid schedule, Kurtenbach said, their shifts aligning with the days and hours when police receive the highest volume of mental-health calls.

Officials anticipate the squad to be operational within four to six weeks.

About 580 of Phoenix's 1,300 patrol officers have undergone crisis-intervention training as of late 2014, according to police. The new specialized team's training will extend beyond the standard 40 hours, and the six officers and one sergeant will continuously work with health providers in the community.

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton praised the effort.

"The best police forces embrace working with a broad range of communities, and this new team will help our mentally ill residents when they and their families are counting on us the most," he said in a statement.

The team is modeled after similar programs in San Antonio, Houston, San Diego and Los Angeles, said Justin Chase, president and CEO of the Crisis Response Network and member of the Phoenix Police mental-health advisory board.

Chase said Phoenix's team will draw from best practices for the "super-user" team, but unlike some of the cities with these specialized teams, will continue the regular crisis-intervention training for other patrol officers.

"To me, this is a huge step in the right direction," he said. "I think what we're creating here in Phoenix is a best practice of itself."