Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office adopts new policy for mental health crisis calls

US Media GroupThe Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that deputies will no longer respond to mental health calls unless a crime is being committed, a policy shift that has raised concerns among local emergency responders.Sheriff Jim Cooper cited a recent ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals as the catalyst for the decision. The court held a Las Vegas police officer liable for the death of a man in mental distress after force was used on him, despite no criminal activity taking place.“Being mentally ill is not a crime and we can’t be the answer,” Cooper said during a news conference. “Law enforcement officers are not trained mental health professionals. We’re not psychiatrists or psychologists. We have minimal training at de-escalation.”The shift has elicited serious concerns from the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District. Parker Wilbourn, a spokesperson for Sac Metro Fire, emphasized that firefighters often rely on law enforcement to ensure the safety of a scene before they can assist.“Any call that has a potential for one of our folks to be hurt, we call for law enforcement,” Wilbourn said. “It’s only a matter of time before one of our members is either seriously hurt or gravely injured as...