RADAR: Community meeting about mental illness, behavioral health, and policing

The Shoreline Police Department, the Shoreline Fire Department, and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Eastside invite you to a community meeting about mental illness, behavioral health, and policing.

First responders want to hear from you about your experiences with police and what kind of policies and/or training you think would improve police response to individuals in a mental health crisis.

Shoreline is currently developing a program called RADAR (Response Awareness, De-escalation and Referral) that will begin in 2017. 

Through RADAR, officers will work with individuals and their circles of support (parents, caregivers) to develop strategies that will help should police contact occur.

These strategies, or response plans, will reflect the specific needs of at-risk individuals. This information will help officers respond more effectively, and humanely, to challenging situations.

It will also give them the tools and contacts--when appropriate--to connect people with support and services. This is a new program with the potential to help both community members and Shoreline deputies.

The meeting is open to everyone, but they are especially interested in hearing from parents and caregivers of people who have mental and behavioral health issues.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016, 6:00 to 7:00pm (doors open at 5:30pm), Shoreline City Hall, Council Chambers, 17500 Midvale Ave N, Shoreline 98133

More information here and a video with Capt. Scott Strathy explaining the concept of the RADAR program.