Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 1 October 2004 — Page 3
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2004
THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER
PAGE A3
OFFICERS
► Continued from Page 1 riod of time,” said Abdul-Alim who is employed by the Departnient of Corrections. “When I saw him after he left prison he was clearly not someone I knew. He was a totally different person. 1 can't say exactly what caused him to have problems but he was different after prison.” This situation has brought to the attention that many ' people do not know where to turn or who to ask for help in regards to the mentally ill. Abdul-Alim says prison is not the answer. “The criminal justice system is being used for something it is not designed to do," he said. “If you have a drug problem they make it a criminal issue and put drug users in prison, the same goes for those with mental illnesses. The criminal justice system is not always able to handle these issues.” Which is why Suzanne Clifford, director of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction at the Department of Family and Social Service Administration says mental health treatment centers and law' enforcement need to work together.
Butler University police officer James Davis was fatally shot in the line of duty last week. Hundreds of people paid their respects to Davis by donning his patrol car with various items including flowers, stuffed animals, and American flags. (Photo/ C. Guynn)
Butler University Deputy Chief of Police Andy Ryan says the protocol of apprehending a suspect who is mentally ill is the same as apprehending one who is not. “If w-e have probable cause to arrest an individual the steps are to control the suspect, handcuff the suspect, search the suspect and transport them to the appropriate facility,” he said. Clifford hopes this will change. “If a mentally ill person does
have an interaction with a police officer it’s important that we provide effective training so that it protects the officer as well as the individual so the officer knows how to work with someone with a mental illness,” she said. Clifford says that police and correctional officers are going to be receiving increased training on how to work wdth people wdth mental illness, addiction as well as developmental disabilities. The training will be statewide in January.
f of local black community nows tie***^ _ I and information wrbsites
A
ups
* ATlT
■#
Check out
our new
and improved
\h
web site
V,:T
visit us at
www.indianapolisrecorder.com
Need A Car? Bruised Credit? We Can Help!!
• • . ‘ • • , Call our Credit Hotline 1 >888-922-4389 and ride today!
You’ve been moving toward that place all your life. How you get there is different for everyone, but it is the same place. The good news is you don’t need to stay there. There is a place where dedicated professionals are ready to help you move to the next place. It’s a place where you can get clear, honest and up-to-date information on all of your mortgage options; a place where you can get a free and confidential mortgage assessment-^within 24 hours. This place is a not-for-profit organization with a single purpose—to help people attain home ownership. For more information, call the place at 317.6lO.HOMEorvisitwww.inhp.org.
INHP
The Key to the American Dream
■iM iil;