Redding PD’s new Crisis Intervention Response Team touted after another successful intervention
REDDING, Calif., — Created last September, Redding Police Department’s new Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT) has already been put to the test numerous times – with great success – while responding to critical incidents and 911 calls for service involving citizens experiencing a mental health crisis.
One such incident occurred yesterday afternoon, Friday, Dec. 3, when Redding police officers were dispatched to reports of a military veteran who was acting erratically and walking in and out of traffic on a busy north Redding roadway.
Although the man was known to be hostile toward officers, with help from an American Medical Response (AMR) supervisor, a CIRT member who responded to the scene was able to calm the distressed man enough to take him to an area hospital for a mental health evaluation and treatment.
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Yesterday’s incident began around noon when City of Redding police officers received multiple calls reporting a man who was possibly suffering from a mental health crisis. 911 callers reported that the man was causing a disturbance and placing himself and others in danger by walking in and out of heavy, lunch-time traffic.
Redding PD Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) member Officer Ketel is seen speaking with a military veteran who was hospitalized for a mental health evaluation after he was seen endangering himself and others on a busy north Redding street yesterday afternoon. RPD photo
Already familiar with the man, described by RPD as a veteran in his mid-thirties who has a prior history of being confrontational with law enforcement officers, SHASCOM emergency dispatchers immediately sent CIRT member Officer Ketel to the scene to assist other responding officials.
Once at the scene, an AMR paramedic supervisor was able to calm and coax the man into the front passenger seat of his vehicle until officers could arrive.
From there, Officer Ketel was able to negotiate the man into agreeing to allow him to be transported to a local hospital for help and treatment without incident.
“This quickly freed up our patrol resources, who had initially responded to the scene,” RPD later said of the successful intervention.
“Today was just one more example of (CIRT’s) many success stories so far,” said officials.
SEE ALSO: High hopes for Redding PD’s new Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT)
Comprised of two police officers with advanced crisis intervention and mental health training, along with a mental health clinician from Shasta County Health and Human Services, CIRT members strive to deescalate situations involving those experiencing a mental health crisis and when appropriate, divert them from the criminal justice system, Redding PD explained after the program’s creation last September.
Although Redding PD’s Critical Intervention Response Team currently consists of two RPD officers and a mental health clinician from Shasta County Health and Human Services, plans are currently in the works to add a sheriff’s deputy to the team. RPD photo
“In addition, CIRT has the ability to immediately connect individuals with resources to help address their physical and mental health needs,” Redding PD said after the program’s September launch. “This includes ongoing follow-up after the incident is over to address continuing needs of the individual.”
Funding for the team include three-quarters of one officer’s salary being covered by Shasta County Health and Human Services, while the City of Redding Housing Division received a grant to cover the second officer. The City of Redding provided the remaining salary, benefits, office space, and vehicle to facilitate the team’s needs.
From the program’s inception, Redding Police Chief Bill Schueller has expressed enthusiasm and high hopes for the team, saying shortly after the program’s beginning, “I am excited CIRT has launched and I am confident they will be successful in improving the lives of individuals suffering from mental illness.”
So far, it would seem the Chief’s expectations are being met.
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Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.