Mental health crisis calls reported by Minnetonka police fell by almost a quarter in 2018, after officers took part in a crisis intervention program developed by two Twin Cities criminal justice professors.
The decline in crisis calls contrasts dramatically with statistics from comparable metro-area cities, said Jillian Peterson, a professor at Hamline University in St. Paul who developed the training program with James Densley of Metropolitan State University.
"We were thrilled, honestly, and kind of shocked," she said.
Elsewhere, last year's crisis calls — which typically involve depression, suicide threats, psychosis or erratic behavior under the influence of drugs or alcohol — either increased from the previous year or declined only slightly.
Peterson and Densley are seeking grants to provide other police departments with similar training, which could be tailored to the needs and circumstances of each area.
"Our goal is to train five more police departments within the next couple of years," Peterson said.
In Minnetonka, everyone on the police department staff — civilians as well as the 57 sworn officers — was required to take the training in February 2018. Last year's calls totaled 302, which was 23 percent fewer than the previous year.
"These are good numbers," said Minnetonka Police Chief Scott Boerboom. "The training gave the officers some tools to use when somebody is in crisis."