The Oswego Police Department announced its pledge to take action in support of the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s One Mind Campaign, with the intention to unite communities, public safety organizations, and mental health organizations, in such a way that the three become of one mind.
The One Mind Campaign seeks to ensure successful interactions between police officers and persons with mental illness. To join the campaign, the Oswego Police Department must commit to implementing four promising practices over 12 to 36 months. The four strategies include:
• Establishing a clearly-defined and sustainable partnership with one or more community mental health organization(s);
• Developing and implementing a model policy addressing police response to persons affected by mental illness;
• Training and certifying 100% of the agency’s sworn officers, and selected non-sworn staff members, in the campaign’s Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety;
• Providing crisis intervention team training to a minimum of 20% of the agency’s sworn officers.
The Oswego Police Department recognizes the need to address societal, cultural, and technological changes that impact law enforcement responses to persons with mental illness. The strategies that the Department has pledged to adopt create an opportunity to expand the Department’s training in mental health issues and enhance partnerships with mental health organizations in the community. Pledging to support the One Mind Campaign is an important step towards creating a safer community.
For more information on the One Mind Campaign, as well as additional resources, visit www.theiacp.org/onemindcampaign. A list of all agencies that have taken the pledge is available on the website.
— Oswego Police Department
