[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 132 (Thursday, September 8, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1557]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          IN HONOR OF SAND CITY POLICE CHIEF J. MICHAEL KLEIN

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 8, 2011

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sand City Police Chief 
J. Michael Klein, who was recently named Police Chief of the Year by 
Crisis Intervention Team International. This award recognizes his work 
in establishing Monterey County's Critical Incident Training Academy, 
which trains police officers to deal with confrontations involving the 
mentally ill and people in crisis situations.
  Chief Klein established Monterey County's Critical Incident Training 
Academy in 2000 to align mental health and police action. At the onset, 
the Academy only offered 24 hours of training a few times per year. The 
concept was not readily accepted in the law enforcement community and 
officers were reluctant to attend.
  However, in 2008, Chief Klein began working with Devon Corpus, the 
behavioral health unit supervisor at Natividad Medical Center. 
Together, they increased the training to 40 hours to include lectures 
on mental illness and created scenarios that officers were likely to 
actually encounter on the job.
  Today, the program is incredibly successful and continues to break 
new ground. The Monterey County Critical Incident Training Academy 
combines resources from several local groups. By incorporating 
resources from law enforcement, emergency service workers, mental 
health officials and civil rights groups, the Academy works to create 
more effective interactions between officers and mental health care 
providers, individuals with mental illness, their families, and also to 
reduce the stigma of mental illness. Using a similar process as hostage 
negotiators, the officers learn techniques to de-escalate hostile 
situations and are thoroughly trained in intervention with people 
suffering from mental illnesses, PTSD and rage.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chief Klein for his service to our 
community. His leadership in aligning mental health with police efforts 
is a model for our nation and I am grateful for his service in 
protecting the life and dignity of our most vulnerable citizens.

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