BRYAN, Texas — The Bryan Police Department announced Wednesday the formation of a Mental Health Unit in an effort to meet the growing needs of the community. Developed in April 2021, the unit is comprised of three officers who have received specific train on how to help people who may be experiencing a mental health crisis.
According to the press release sent out by BPD, there is a significant increase in the awareness of law enforcement interactions with people suffering from mental illness, Interactions like these can often turn violent if there is a lack of trust from the mental health consumer and law enforcement. With the added training, the officers in the Mental Health Unit will be better equipped to respond to these types of situations.
During these visits, officers will ensure residents who do experience mental health effects are no in crisis, make scheduled visits to the doctor and are taking prescribed medications.
"Our hope is by taking a proactive approach we can reduce the number of police interactions with mental health consumers in our community who are in crisis," the department said in a statement.
Since there are only three officers in the Mental Health Unit at this time, the department is committed to growing and training an additional 30 officers. The training will focus on the recognition of persons in crisis, communication and de-escalation techniques.