Police Advisory Board wants input on BolaWrap, no cops on mental health teams
Buffalo NewsJan 24, 2021
Jan. 24—Buffalo police should collect data on the city's pilot project using the BolaWrap restraint and provide that data to the
The citizen board, in a pair of recommendations it will present to the Oversight Committee at
The board notes that, because of the way police are taught, "even trained officers may misunderstand the needs of an individual experiencing a mental health crisis, fail to deescalate the crisis, and respond using unhelpful or dangerous approaches for the circumstance."
The board says the city's priority should be "verbal and nonviolent de-escalation techniques as opposed to adopting the use of new types of weapons (such as BolaWraps)." With the city already looking at the device, it recommends that police collect data on the six-month BolaWrap project, including the number of individuals the tool is used on, the race, gender and ethnicity of each and what part of the body is enwrapped by the device.
BolaWrap is a lasso-type restraining device used as a nonlethal means of capturing suspects, police say. The city announced last October that it would start a BolaWrap pilot program for members of the
In its recommendation for the city to adopt a Mental Health Diversion program, the
But a "diversion program would place the process of working with mentally ill individuals in need of assistance in the hands of professionals with extensive professional training and experience needed to successfully attempt de-escalation and link with long-term services," according to the
"By including officers in this process (other than when an expert determines officer presence is absolutely necessary), the City threatens the safety of individuals and communities, furthers mistrust, and burdens officers with work outside of their realm of expertise," the report said.
A diversion program should include training 911 dispatchers to handle mental health calls and placing mental health professionals in the 911 call center for guidance, as well as community education on mental illness and how to communicate about it, according to the board. The diversion teams should include an EMS worker and a qualified mental health professional, and funding should come from the police budget and not from grants acquired by community-based organizations. Funds could also come from a collaboration between the city and
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