CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Local behavioral health professionals will be able to assist Cheyenne police officers and firefighters in their handling of mental health–related emergency calls following an action by the City Council on Monday.
The council, as part of its agenda, approved a memorandum which would allow a collaborative program between the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, the Cheyenne and Laramie County Police Departments and the Fire and Rescue team to take effect.
In the three-year-long program, professionals provided by the CRMC’s Regional Behavioral Health Services will help officers divert individuals in a mental health–related or substance abuse–related crisis to appropriate resources.
In the original documents presented to the council, the Cheyenne Police Department is the only collaborator with the CRMC. However, during Monday’s meeting, Joel Hickerson, support services lieutenant at the Cheyenne Police Department, said the city’s Fire and Rescue team should be included as well.
“Fire and Rescue do commonly respond to these mental health crisis calls for service to provide aid on a paramedic level as well as on additional resources when needed,” Hickerson said.
Speaking afterward, Ward II Councilmember Bryan Cook said implementing a partnership between the CRMC, police and fire departments will be a “positive and needed step” for the community.
“It’s a shame we need to have these collaborations,” Cook said. “We have high levels of expertise with the CRMC as well as our own first responders, so I just want to highlight the importance of this program and hope our colleagues feel the same way.”
The Cheyenne Police Department’s limitations for handling mental health–related emergency calls is documented in the program’s proposal.
In 2020, the Cheyenne Police Department reported that 68% of its overall caseload consisted of
mental health calls for service and drug distribution, www.sleepmedsite.com/page/sc/our_services/ambien_zolpidem.
Of the 101 sworn officers at the Cheyenne department, 83 are assigned to patrol duties which include responding to incidents of mental health and substance use disorders.
“Officers are overwhelmed with the number of calls for service and have the difficult task of responding, investigating, and making appropriate legal decisions to clear the call to move onto the next call,” the proposal states.
The memo and original proposal can be viewed in full below:
