Senator David Carlucci (D-Rockland/Westchester) joined Clarkstown police, the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office, Supervisor George Hoehmann, and mental health advocates at the Clarkstown Police Department to talk about the importance of funding in the New York State Budget for Crisis Intervention Training (CIT).

CIT is critical training for officers because it teaches them how to de-escalate situations with people suffering from mental illness. Officers learn active listening skills, how to empathize and build a rapport with a person, and how to better recognize mental illness.

“This is about saving lives. I am fighting for $1.5 million to be allocated in the budget each year to implement training across the state and continue training at all our police departments,” said Senator David Carlucci. “We know 1 in 5 people suffers from mental illness and about 10 percent of police calls involves a person with mental illness. Sometimes officers are the first responders in a mental health crisis, and it’s important they are able to help people get the treatment they need instead of taking them to jail.”