Partners: Mifflin Juniata Department of Human Services, Lewistown Borough Police Department, Center for Community Resources, Mifflin County Criminal Justice Advisory Board
Focus areas: Mental Health Co-Response Model, Crisis Intervention Training (CIT)
Mifflin County, a rural region in Central Pennsylvania, has recently experienced an increase in violent crime. National crime statistics reveal that Mifflin County has a violent crime rate of 567 per 1,000 persons, compared to a national rate of 388. Some of this increase stemmed from incidents involving individuals with moderate to serious mental illness as well as individuals using methamphetamine. Untreated mental health conditions can alter judgement and decision-making, resulting in interactions that can quickly escalate to violence and law enforcement officers are often the first to respond to such incidents. Mifflin County Regional Police Department (MCRPD) responded to 117 calls related to mental health and/or suicide in 2022, an underrepresentation of the actual number of mental health incidents since calls that result in arrest must be classified under different codes. Even that limited data picture reveals a steady increase in mental health-related calls that required law enforcement assistance, from 107 in 2021 and 87 in 2020.
Like other rural regions across the nation, however, Mifflin County has limited resources for both law enforcement and behavioral health services. The lack of a robust mental health care infrastructure means crisis situations are sometimes the only way that individuals with untreated mental health conditions can receive assistance. This often requires officers to act as both law enforcement and social workers. To address this need, MCRPD is using Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative funds to replicate a successful Co-Responder pilot started in the Lewistown (Pa.) Police Department. A mental health professional accompanies officers on calls that may require mental health interventions. The goal is to resolve these calls peacefully, without violence and without the need for an arrest. In the Lewistown pilot, mental health workers were successful in diverting individuals from the criminal justice system during moments of crisis and helping them access needed services. The county is now expanding the model to other law enforcement jurisdictions in the region. Partners in this project include: Mifflin Juniata Human Services Department, Juniata Valley Behavioral Development Services, Single County Drug and Alcohol Commission, and Center for Community Resources.
RVCRI is an effort funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to assist rural communities seeking to address violent crime.
The DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance is supporting data-driven, comprehensive responses to crime in some of the country’s most troubled communities through BCJI.