From the desk of the Sheriff
Mark Armentrout
The Radford City Sheriff’s Office has added five additional deputies to staff the New River Valley Crisis Intervention Team Assessment Center.
Over the past several months, the Sheriff’s Office has been in the process of hiring and training the new CIT deputies through a partnership with the New River Valley Community Services (NRVCS).
The facility, which is the first of its kind in the state, will enable law enforcement agencies throughout the New River Valley to better assist citizens that are experiencing a mental health crisis.
I have contended from the inception of this program that it is a “win-win-win” for everyone involved. First, it provides a much-needed mental health crisis service for citizens throughout the New River Valley.
Next, the center provides an efficient evaluation process for people that are experiencing a mental health crisis while also allowing law enforcement personnel to their patrol duties in minutes instead of hours. Law enforcement personnel transfer custody of the patient that is in need of mental health services to a specially trained Radford deputy.
The deputies work with NRVCS clinicians to assess the needs of the patient. In most cases, the deputy will also provide transportation to a mental health facility if it is determined that in-patient care is necessary.
Finally, the Radford Sheriff’s Office is able to utilize the extra deputies for courtroom security, civil process service, and inmate transportation when they are not involved with an assessment.
When asked about the new assessment center, Kit Cummings, the NRVCS Law Enforcement Liaison, provided the following assessment:
“Over the past 18 months the Radford City Sheriff’s Office has worked collaboratively with New River Valley Community Services to expand Crisis Intervention Team Assessment Center offerings and to facilitate community response to individuals in crisis. The Radford Sheriff’s Office brought on a number of uniquely qualified staff to make this project possible, and the impact of these deputies’ services throughout the New River Valley has been immediate and profound. Sheriff Armentrout and his staff have been wonderful to partner with, and we look forward to many successes in the years to come.”
We are pleased that the NRVCS decided to partner with the Radford Sheriff’s Office to develop this innovative and successful new program. We hope that our hard work and experience can serve as a model for similar cooperative efforts throughout Virginia.