Sterling Heights police join forces with officers from Kansas to better serve communities
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Drug overdoses and the mental health crisis are two issues law enforcement has battled for years. Police in Sterling Heights joined forces with another agency to hopefully better serve each other's community.
"We definitely saw an increase, especially after COVID hit 2020 and 2021. We saw the different responses in the number of overdoses, and overdoses could be fatal or overdoses that you have to medically respond to," said Sterling Heights Chief Dale Dwojakowski.
Learning a thing or two from a different state is what brought the Overland Park Police Department in Kansas to the metro area. New tactics in dealing with drug abuse calls are the reason for their visit.
"A lot of times it's just a matter of slowing down and talking to people if we can slow down and let cooler heads prevail, a lot of times we are going to have a better outcome," said Overland Park Sgt. Stewart Brought.
Drug overdoses continue to impact the United States, and Overland Park police are in Michigan to learn, and they've also shared practices with Sterling Heights authorities.
"So we've got that trauma-informed approach where people have had that interaction before," Brought said.
Sterling Heights' quick response team is the reason for the dual agency training.
Both cities are similar in population size and demographics. Its methods Sterling Heights has already implemented that's helping in nontraditional ways.
"Alternatives to incarceration and sitting down and hearing what that person is going through outside of that crisis moment, being able to offer treatment and resources," said Dunya Barash with Families Against Narcotics.