[Archived] Alexandria’s Crisis Intervention Team Honors Award Winners

Alexandria’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) held an Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, November 5. Hosted by Mayor William D. Euille, Police Chief Earl L. Cook, Sheriff Dana Lawhorne, and Liz Wixson from the Department of Community and Human Services, four Alexandria Crisis Intervention Team members were honored.

Awards were presented to: 

PSCO Meghan Tallon “CIT DEC Employee of the Year”, for handling and engaging a caller with PTSD until help could reach him in person.

Deputy Dawn Jefferies “CIT Deputy of the Year”, for her commitment to transporting people detained for mental evaluations to and from numerous hospitals to hearings.

Officer Marcus Downey “CIT Officer of the Year”, for his assistance to a woman charged with prostitution who then attempted to take her own life.

Officer Frank Riley “CIT Intervention of the Year”, for his realization that a woman’s chronic cycling through City agencies was related to mental illness and she was in need of services.

Alexandria’s Crisis Intervention Team was developed in collaboration with the Department of Community and Human Services, the Alexandria Police Department, and the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office to help improve staff interactions and outcomes with persons with mental illness and substance use disorders. Unlike most CIT programs across the country which are comprised solely of police officers, Alexandria’s program includes staff from all first responding agencies to ensure that a comprehensive, City-wide approach is in place to assist residents with mental illness

CIT is based on a model developed by the Memphis Police Department in 1988 following a police shooting of a person with mental illness, and has since been adopted in communities in 45 states. The training is designed to educate and prepare police and other officials who come in contact with people with mental illnesses to recognize the signs and symptoms and to respond effectively and appropriately.

The program is one of a number of cooperative, multi-agency initiatives currently underway in Alexandria to help divert persons with mental illness and substance use disorders away from the criminal justice system and into the treatment system, enabling them to live law-abiding and productive lives in our community. Over 330 first responders have been trained in Alexandria.