Los Angeles Police Department Mental Evaluation Unit

The Los Angeles Police Department Mental Evaluation Unit (MEU), including the Systemwide Mental Assessment Response Team (SMART), is a component of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) that works with people suspected of having mental illness. The MEU mission is to reduce the potential for violence during police contacts involving people experiencing mental illness while simultaneously assessing the mental health services available to assist them. This requires a commitment to problem solving, partnership, and supporting a coordinated effort from law enforcement, mental health services and the greater community of Los Angeles.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]

The LAPD has deployed the MEU for over four decades to help uniformed field personnel manage mental health crisis issues. In January 1993, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) and the LAPD enhanced the MEU operation by committing personnel and resources to staff the Systemwide Mental Assessment Response Team (SMART) within the City of Los Angeles. These co-deployed field response units formed the basis of the initial 1993 Mental Illness Project.

The Mental Illness Project is a co-response model. This means that police officers and mental health clinicians are housed out of the same building and respond to calls as a team.[19] Officers and clinicians develop management schemes which employ an array of options from referrals for service, hospitalization and or management of the subject within the jail system.[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]

In 2005, the Case Assessment Management Program (CAMP) was added to the MEU and the Mental Illness Project as a mental illness investigative follow-up team. Staffed by sworn investigators and LACDMH clinicians, its primary function is to identify those persons experiencing a mental illness, who make frequent use of police and fire emergency services, and/or who are at risk for violent encounters with police officers, e.g. Target School Violence, Suicide Jumpers, and Suicide by Cop (SbC).

In April 2008, the Los Angeles Police Department Threat Management Unit (LAPD TMU)[33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43] teamed up to co-deploy with the MEU due to the fact that stalking suspects often experiencing some form of mental instability, and workplace violence suspects experience some form of mental health crisis when they make threats and when they are engaging in acts of violence. Both the MEU and TMU comprise the Crisis Response Support Section (CRSS).[44]

Further insight relative to the MEU can be found within the following governmental publications:[45]

  • A Guide to Implementing Police-Based Diversion Programs for People with Mental Illness, by Melissa Reuland, Police Executive Research Forum – 2004[46]
  • Enhancing Success of Police-Based Diversion Programs for People with Mental Illness, by Melissa Reuland and Jason Cheney, Police Executive Research Forum – May 2005[47]
  • Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses, Strategies for Effective Law Enforcement Training 2008.[48]
  • Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses, The Essential Elements of a Specialized Law Enforcement–Based Program, 2008.[49]
  • Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Law Enforcement Responses to People with Mental Illness, A Guide to Research-Informed Policy and Practice, 2009.[50]
  • Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses, Tailoring Law Enforcement Initiatives to Individual Jurisdictions, 2010.[51]
  • Consent Decree Mental illness Reports.[19][52][53][54][55]

References
  1. "LAPD's Mental Evaluation Unit is Selected as a National Law Enforcement/Mental Health". NAMI California. February 4, 2009. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  2. "Calibre Press Street Survival Newsline – 874". Policeone.com. May 8, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  3. Paul, Katie (February 2, 2008). "When Police Intervene". Newsweek. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  4. "Britney Spears – Britney's Trip To Hospital Cost $25,000". Contactmusic.com. February 1, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  5. Britney Spears' $25,000 6-Mile LAPD Escort (February 1, 2008). "Britney Spears' $25,000 6-Mile LAPD Escort". LAist. Archived from the original on June 16, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  6. Lyons, Patrick J. (February 1, 2008). "Of Badges, Straitjackets and Britney Spears". New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  7. Stephey, M.J. (August 8, 2007). "De-Criminalizing Mental Illness". TIME. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  8. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 25, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "Fight For Life" (PDF). Lapdonline.org. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  10. "SMART Helps the Mentally Ill" (PDF). Lapdonline.org. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  11. "LAPD Releases Board of Inquiry Summary of SWAT Team Analysis". Los Angeles Community Policing. April 15, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  12. Blankstein, Andrew; Gold, Scott; Winton, Richard (February 1, 2008). "Precision teamwork in Spears operation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  13. "The Police and Mental Health – Lamb et al. 53 (10): 1266 – Psychiatr Serv". Psychservices.psychiatryonline.org. May 20, 1997. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.53.10.1266. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  15. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 3, 2011. Retrieved January 23, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. "The Los Angeles Police Department's Mental Evaluation Unit's Mental Illness Project is selected as a Bright Ideas Recipient". LAPD. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  17. "Harvard Announces Bright Ideas in Government – Ash Center". Ash.harvard.edu. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  18. "The Los Angeles Police Department receives California Peace Officer Standards and Training Excellence in Training Awards for Individual and Organizational Achievements NR11173ne". LAPD. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  19. "Covers-Final Report- Appendices" (PDF). Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  20. "LAPDs Mental Evaluation Unit is Selected as a National Law Enforcement/Mental Health Learning Site NR10518rf". News Release. Los Angeles Police Department. November 9, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  21. "LAPD Blog: LAPD's Mental Evaluation Unit is Selected as a National Law Enforcement/Mental Health Learning Site". Lapdblog.typepad.com. November 9, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  22. "LAPD's Mental Evaluation Unit is Selected as a National Law Enforcement/Mental Health Learning Site from LAPD Headquarters : Nixle". Local.nixle.com. November 9, 2010. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  23. "LAPD's Mental Evaluation Unit is Selected as a National Law Enforcement/Mental Health – SZONE.US Forums". Szone.us. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  24. "The Los Angeles Police Department to Serve as National Learning Site on Responding to People with Mental Illnesses". LAPD. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  25. "The Los Angeles Police Department to Serve as National Learning Site on Responding to People with Mental Illnesses". Asianjournal.com. January 20, 2011. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  26. "Nothing found for Issue_Areas Law Enforcement". Consensusproject.org. Archived from the original on April 30, 2013. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  27. Goode, Erica (May 22, 2011). "Police Standoffs Studied by Officers". The New York Times.
  28. Guerrero, Rafael (April 27, 2011). "Detective Receives POST Individual Achievement Award". Park Labrea News/ Beverly Press. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
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  31. "Los Angeles Police Department Mental Evaluation Unit – eNotes.com Reference". Enotes.com. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  32. "Testimonials". Combat to Community. August 24, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  33. "A New Role fo9r LAPD's Threat Management Unit" (PDF). Lapdonline.org. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  34. Corwin, Miles (November 4, 2008). "Inside the LAPD's Threat Management Unit". Policeone.com. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  35. Fletcher, Lisa; Baker, Steven (February 12, 2009). "Special Police Unit Protects Stars From Stalkers". ABC News. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  36. "The Defenders". Stalkingalert.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  37. Halpern, Jake (May 18, 2007). "Fame Junkies – Volume 6: Celebrity Stalkers, a Special Breed". Hollywood.com. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  38. Meloy, J. Reid; Sheridan, Lorraine; Hoffmann, Jens (2008). Stalking, threatening, and attacking public figures: a psychological and behavioral analysis. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 325. ISBN 0-19-532638-5.
  39. Cosgrove-Mather, Bootie (March 8, 2005). "Dark Side Of Celebrity – Stalkers". CBS News. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  40. "Review of the 17th Annual ATAP Conference". Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  41. Larson, John. "Stories behind celebrity stalkers - Dateline NBC". NBC News. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  42. "L.A. Lawyer". Stalkingalert.com. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
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  46. "A Guide to Implementing Police-Based Diversion Programs for People with Mental Illness" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  47. "Enhancing Success of Police-Based Diversion Programs for People with Mental Illness" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
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