Bill Text: VA HJR754 | 2017 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2017-02-03 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ754ER) [HJR754 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2017-HJR754-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, as of 2016, nearly all dispatchers and emergency call-takers and more than half of all deputies in the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office have received crisis intervention training to better serve and safeguard individuals experiencing mental health or behavioral issues; and
WHEREAS, Sheriff Mike Chapman facilitated the creation of the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Crisis Intervention Team in 2012 after recognizing the increase in mental health cases throughout the county; and
WHEREAS, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Crisis Intervention Team trains officers and dispatchers to calmly and effectively deal with members of the community; the team's trainers hold international certifications and have been recognized at local and state levels for their important work; and
WHEREAS, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Crisis Intervention Team's comprehensive training program includes classroom instruction, roleplay exercises, and site visits to mental health facilities and homeless shelters; and
WHEREAS, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office has trained 60 percent of its patrol, operational support, and courts and corrections officers and 95 percent of dispatchers and Emergency Communications Center call-takers in crisis intervention; and
WHEREAS, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office has worked with other community organizations to ensure that the training program remains effective and that all public safety officers have the tools to help individuals with mental illness receive the care they need; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office for its work to ensure the safety and dignity of individuals with mental health issues through its crisis intervention training program; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Mike Chapman, the Loudoun County Sheriff, as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the work of the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office to promote positive interaction between law-enforcement officers and members of the community.
