Overland Park to fund Crisis Intervention Training for all police officers

Overland Park to fund Crisis Intervention Training for all police officers

Crisis Intervention Training will begin for all Overland Park Police Officers next year.

It comes after a more than two year push from the mother of a fatally shot teen.

THE IDEA IS TO SAVELIVES.WITH THAT GOAL,OVERLAND PARK HAS NOWDECIDED TO GIVE ALL ITSPOLICE OFFICERS CRISISINTERVENTION TRAINING...OR C-I-T.IT COMES AFTER A MOMHAS BEEN PUSHING FORTHAT GOAL FOR OVER TWOYEARS FOLLOWING theshooting death of her son.41 ACTION NEWS I-TEAMREPORTER ANDY ALCOCKHAS THE EXCLUSIVESTORY.DOORBELL VIDEO SHOWSFORMER OVERLAND PARKPOLICE OFFICER CLAYTONJENISON RESPONDING TOA WELFARE CHECK CALLON 17 YEAR OLD JOHNALBERS IN 2018.AS THE GARAGE STARTSTO OPEN, JENISON PULLSHIS GUN OUT OF HISHOLSTER BEFORE THETEEN STARTS TO BACK UPIN THE FAMILY MINIVAN.JENISON ULTIMATELYFIRED HIS WEAPON 13TIMES AND KILLED JOHNALBERS.JENISON CLAIMED THEBOY TRIED TO RUN HIMOVER.HE WAS CLEARED OFWRONGDOING and nevercharged with a crime, BUTJENISON, UNLIKE ABOUTHALF OF THE OVERLANDPARK POLICEDEPARTMENT'S OFFICERSAT THE TIME, DID NOT HAVECRISIS INTERVENTIONTRAINING OR C-I-T.IT'S BEEN A POINT OFCONTENTION FOR THETEEN'S MOM SHEILAALBERS EVER SINCE.SHEILA ALBERS/JOHN'S MOTHER"And I have pushed on ChiefDonchez to get all of ourofficers CIT trained."HOWEVER UNTIL VERYRECENTLY, OVERLANDPARK POLICE CHIEF FRANKDONCHEZ DIDN'T SUPPORTCRISIS INTERVENTIONTRAINING FOR HIS ENTIREPOLICE FORCE.BUT OVERLAND PARK CITYCOUNCILMAN CHRISNEWLIN, CHAIR OF THEMENTAL HEALTH TASKFORCE, SAID THE CHIEFCHANGING HIS MIND PAVEDTHE WAY FOR A MAJORBREAKTHROUGH.AT MONDAY NIGHT'S CITYCOUNCIL MEETING, CITYMANAGER BILL EBEL SAIDHE WILL FIND THE $80-THOUSAND DOLLARSNEEDED IN THE POLICEDEPARTMENT'S BUDGETTO HAVE CRISISINTERVENTION TRAININGFOR ALL THE CITY'SOFFICERS BEGINNINGNEXT YEAR.CHRIS NEWLIN/OVERLAND PARKCITY COUNCIL"We came out with a big winand that's progress."NEWLIN DIDN'T GETEVERYTHING HE WANTED.HIS ORIGINAL PROPOSALIN ADDITION TO THETRAINING WAS TO HAVE ANEW C-I-T UNIT COMPLETEWITH A SERGEANT,OFFICERS AND SOCIALWORKERS AT A COST OF$2.2 MILLION DOLLARS.AN INCREASE IN THEPROPERTY TAX RATEWOULD HAVE PAID FOR IT.THE COUNCIL VOTEDDOWN THAT PROPOSAL.BUT NEWLIN SAIDCOMMITTING TO THETRAIING IS A BIG FIRSTSTEP;CHRIS NEWLIN/OVERLAND PARKCITY COUNCIL"100 percent, it's going tosave lives."EVEN THOUGH IT'S TOOLATE FOR HER SON,SHEILA ALBERS AGREES.OVERLAND PARK WILLBECOME JUST THESECOND JOHNSONCOUNTY CITY TO HAVE ALLITS OFFICERS C-I-TTRAINED, JOININGROELAND PARK.I'M INVESTIGATOR ANDYALCOCK, 41 ACTION NEWS.WE REACHED OUT TOOVERLAND PARK POLICECHIEF FRANK DONCHEZFOR REACTION TO THETRAINING DECISION.