OKMULGEE, Okla — The Muscogee Nation's Lighthorse Police Department is equipping officers with the skills needed to respond to mental health calls.
Police say they have had to respond to an increased number of mental health calls ever since the McGirt v. Oklahoma case in 2020.
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According to the Department of Oklahoma Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Oklahoma ranks fifth in the nation for rates of mental illness.
Brent Colbert is a training officer with the Lighthorse Police.
He said training officers for each case is part of why the course is so important.
“We need to treat each case individually and to make sure we’re not just blanket-covering it, saying we’re gonna cover each one the same," he said. "We're lucky to have a department and a tribe that recognizes that."
Several topics, including suicide, medications, mental health disorders, and even cultural diversity, are being covered in the course.
Officer Stephen Currans said giving officers the proper training is crucial to bettering the community.
"When we're setting up our officers to be in a predicament where if they're not given those tools, it's a point of liability, and it just isn't beneficial," he said.
People like Bryan Stevens think that this program will allow police to better serve people who may be going through tough times in life.
“Something like this will really open doors, hopefully people will grab a hold of and it could really help, because you help one, you help all," Stevens said.
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