By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph Police Chief Chris Connally agrees with calls to place more emphasis on addressing the underlying causes of crime, but says those can be incorporated in the daily work of a police department.
Connally says while he doesn’t agree with calls to defund police, he agrees more could be done to help those with mental health issues.
“In St. Joseph, Family Guidance has a mental health specialist that actually has an office in our department, works for Family Guidance; at times responds on calls with us, at times takes over calls with us, at times when there’s no other threat will take a call for us when it deals with mental health (issues),” Connally says, adding those are progressive steps police departments can take.
Connally points out the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department has also incorporated a Family Guidance worker to help those incarcerated in the county jail.
Connally says there is no need to defund police so more money can be used for mental health programs. He says it should be incorporated within a police department.
“When you start addressing mental health issues or co-curing disorders maybe with a drug issue, too or drug issues, now you’re starting to address causes of crime,” according to Connally. “Now you’re starting to do things that are going to have more meaningful, long-term impacts.”