Referred to: The Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee (Chairwoman Walter and Legislators Fabiano, Haynes, Heppner and Parete), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Archer, Bartels, Haynes, Maio, Parete, Ronk, and Walter)

Chairwoman of the Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee, Eve Walter, offers the following:

WHEREAS, Resolution No. 410 of October 15, 2019 established the Ulster County Criminal Justice Reform Task Force (UC-CJRTF) which has set forth to evaluate existing and potential criminal justice programs, to ensure the best and most cost-effective delivery of services, and to explore opportunities for program expansion to help the greatest number of county residents who may be in need of services; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature is in receipt of, and has reviewed the report of the UC-CJRTF; and

WHEREAS, people living with mental illness in New York are more likely to encounter the criminal justice system, resulting in a large number of arrests and incarcerations (National Survey of Drug Use and Health); and

WHEREAS, failures to develop a robust Crisis Intervention Team and to assure appropriate crisis intervention and de-escalation training for officers has been found to result in poorer outcomes for both law enforcement and individuals who interact with them in a potential arrest; and

WHEREAS, the Criminal Justice Reform Taskforce identified that a key way to prevent potential abuse of law enforcement toward a civilian is through the expansion of the Sheriff’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and de-escalation trainings for officers; and

WHEREAS, in 2021 Ulster County invested money to expand the Mobile Mental Health services to reach a broader geographic area and added a social worker position to the 911 dispatch system particularly to assist in incidents where law enforcement is engaged with an individual experiencing a mental health crisis; and

WHEREAS, these efforts are better realized with increased and improved training for members of the law enforcement community; and 

WHEREAS, the current 40 hour de-escalation training implemented to some of the county law enforcers have been well received and has anecdotally shown an impact on preventing poorer outcomes for law enforcement and civilians but are costly and therefore not available to a broader group of police officers; and

 WHEREAS, the UC-CJRTF finds that these trainings should be formalized, required for new hires, available to our County’s municipal police and repeated in regular intervals; and

WHEREAS, the UC-CJRTF further finds that law enforcement peer support training centered on the mental health of law enforcement personnel is needed as well; and

WHEREAS, the County Executive’s Justice and Reform Plan includes a priority to, “expand crisis intervention trainings to 50% percent of the Sheriff’s Office personnel and 25% of all local Police Departments in Ulster County; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that a full-time Crisis Intervention Team manager position is created to: oversee crisis intervention trainings, including de-escalation and peer-to-peer mental health support trainings, evaluate and recommend potential revisions in law enforcement policy, create, implement, and regularly evaluate a triage diversion plan for individuals presenting with a mental health crisis to law enforcement, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the 2021 Ulster County Budget is hereby amended as follows:

INCREASE                               AMOUNT            

AA-3110-1810-1400-1400           Regular Pay                                $  17,150.00

(App.#)

AA-3110-1810-8000-8000           Retirement                                  $  2,861.00

(App.#)

AA-3110-1810-8010-8010           Social Security                            $  1,312.00

(App.#)

AA-3110-1810-8020                   Health Insurance                         $  4,694.00

(App.#)

AA-9900-9900-3700                   Appropriated Fund Balance          $26,017.00

(Rev.#),

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                       NOES:     

Passed Committee: Law Enforcement and Public Safety on ______________.

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on ______________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$26,017.00 - ADDITIONAL 2021 APPROPRIATION DOLLARS

$50,865.67 – ESTIMATED 2022 ANNUAL REGULAR PAY