REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve City's Response to the 2017- 2018 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury Report entitled "Police and the Mentally Ill: Improving Outcomes
Report
BACKGROUND
On May 9, 2018, the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury released a report, Police and the Mentally Ill: Improving Outcomes (Attachment 2). The report details the findings and recommendations from the Grand Jury's investigation concerning law enforcement officers' use of deadly force against citizens who were in a mental health crisis. The key focus of this report is recommendations for policies addressing mental health training for law enforcement officers.
During the investigation, the Grand Jury employed the following methodology:
* Interviewed law enforcement officers, District Attorney officials, San Jose PD Communications Center staff and County Behavioral Health Services managers.
* Distributed a survey to municipal and county law enforcement agencies as to their respective mental health training requirements and compliance statistics.
* Reviewed District Attorney's Office Involved Shootings reports.
* Reviewed several websites that collect officer-involved encounters throughout the United States.
* Monitored portions of a weeklong Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) class.
* Participated in Force Options Simulator training.
California Penal Code 933(c) requires the government body of the public agency that has been the subject of the Grand Jury report respond to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court on the findings and recommendations. This response, which is included as Attachment A to this report, is due no later than August 7, 2018.
EXISTING POLICY
California Penal Code section 933(c): No later than 90 days after the Grand Jury submits a final report on the operations of any public agency to its reviewing authority, the governing body of the public agency shall comment to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court on the findings and recommendations pertain...
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