Sen. Inhofe Wants to Give Police $7.5 million For Mental Health Training

Lower than every week after a person who mentioned he was mentally sick was killed by Oklahoma Metropolis police, Sen. Jim Inhofe introduced laws that may enhance psychological well being coaching for regulation enforcement. 

On Friday morning on the Tulsa Police Officers’ Memorial, the Republican senator advised a small group of reporters that he plans to file the Legislation Enforcement Coaching for Psychological Well being Disaster Response Act of 2021 subsequent week. 

The invoice, which is backed by 4 Republican senators and two Democrats, would offer $7.5 million in grants to regulation enforcement nationwide to organize officers to answer crises and promote collaboration with medical and psychological well being professionals. 

“What we wish to be sure that is that they’re outfitted with no matter is critical to assist them with this group,” Inhofe mentioned over the pop of gun-fire from close by police coaching. “And they don’t seem to be proper now.” 

Daniel Hobbs, 34, was fatally shot on Might 8 by Oklahoma Metropolis police officer Daniel Lopez, who has obtained specialised psychological well being training as a member of the division’s Disaster Intervention Unit. Hobbs had been lingering outdoors of his grandfather’s home “staring on the clouds,” in accordance with a neighbor who known as police. Hobbs was shot throughout a wrestle with Lopez after Hobbs resisted letting the officer search him for weapons, as seen in a video of the incident launched by the division. 

The proposed grants would fund coaching by the Psychological Sickness Response Various Heart for Legislation Enforcement in Colorado Springs. The coaching is funded by the Nationwide Tactical Officers Affiliation, which is made up of lively and retired navy and law enforcement officials from throughout the nation, together with Tulsa Police Capt. Luke Sherman. 

Sherman, who’s chairman of the affiliation’s Board of Administrators, mentioned this system helps companies develop a response plan that features docs, social staff and police. 

Some officers and psychological well being professionals argue that police shouldn’t be responding to psychological well being emergencies in any respect. However Sherman disagrees. 

“We shield however we additionally serve,” Sherman mentioned. “That’s the serve half and we must be a part of that group that’s responding.”

Whitney Bryen is an investigative reporter and visible storyteller at Oklahoma Watch with an emphasis on home violence, psychological well being and nursing houses affected by COVID-19. Contact her at (405) 201-6057 or wbryen@oklahomawatch.org. Observe her on Twitter @SoonerReporter.