CMPD’s Innovative Strategy To Curb Use Of Deadly Force

CHARLOTTE, NC — CMPD has a cutting edge plan to cut down the use of deadly force.

The department wants to hire mental health professionals to ride with officers on mental crisis calls.

If Council approves, CMPD would be one of the first in the country to adopt the strategy.

“I wish it was there when Janisha was needing help. I really wish it,” said Paris Hopkins.

Hopkins’ cousin, Janisha Fonville, died when a CMPD officer shot and killed her during a mental health call in 2015.

CMPD wants to hire six mental health clinicians to ride with officers on calls like that.

WCCB Charlotte called New York, Atlanta, Orlando, Boston, Baltimore and Raleigh Police.

None do this.

Memphis Police department is about to start.

Memphis Police Lt. Col. Vincent Beasley says it’s taken eight months to work out the kinks.

“We want to make sure we’re all on the same sheet of music: we all have the training, that everybody understands what everybody’s role is, that the police are always concerned about safety and who’s going to drive the vans,” said Lt. Col. Beasley.

Charlotte City Council Member Matt Newton has been asking CMPD for this for nearly a year.

“It’s the way for us to encourage the safest of all possible outcomes for the citizens and the officers involved,” said Newton.

A CMPD officer shot and killed his brother, Clay McCall, suffering from mental illness in 2012.

“I feel like it would have made a huge difference in his case,” said Newton.

Chief Kerr Putney told city council Monday he would need more than $600,000 to make the hires. Council discussed bidding out the service before deciding which company to get therapists from.

“I just want to move sooner rather than later because at any moment, we can have an interaction. I’d rather be more prepared than we are currently,” said Chief Putney.

CMPD says it does contract out therapists who are on call. It also has given crisis intervention training to 25 percent of its department. That entails four hours of training on signs and strategies to deal with someone in a mental health crisis.