The Peace Officers Association of Los Angeles County presented the LA County Sheriff’s Department’s Transit Policing Divisions’ Crisis Response Unit (CRU) with the 2015 Centurion Award of Excellence in Community Policing. The awards were presented on Thursday, March 19th, at the USC Town and Gown center.

The CRU team, as they are known, provides mental evaluation services and homeless outreach to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The CRU Team is part of the Sheriff’s Transit Policing Division, and each of the four teams within the CRU are comprised of a sworn deputy and a mental health professional from the LA County Department of Mental Health.

Sheriff’s Lieutenant Sergio Mancilla, who oversees the CRU, says that the opportunities to help those in need on the Metro system makes having the teams relevant. “The assigned deputies usually wear street clothes so that they appear non-threatening and look more like their mental health clinician partners. It’s important to the (CRU) teams they spend the time needed to understand what the problems are these folks are facing and get them the help they need. Whatever that may be.”

The California Highway Patrol, who also deploys a Mental Health Evaluation Team (MET), nominated LASD’s CRU and 10 other teams that comprise the Los Angeles County Mental Evaluation Teams group. POALAC annually recognizes outstanding achievements in law enforcement by awarding their Centurion Awards of Excellence.

Deputy Dirk Blansfield, one of the CRU team members who acts as the team leader, noted that the training and transition from patrol duties takes time. “When I joined the team all I had known was working patrol, answering calls for service. Although we (CRU) do still answer calls here at Sheriff’s Transit, it’s usually to back up a deputy that is dealing with a person that might have psychological or emotional problems. It’s a transition in mindset, to be sure. We are no longer responding to a threat, but rather a need to calm an already stressed individual and get to the root of what their needs are. Compassion and understanding are key to what we do.”

If you or a loved one are in need of services, the LA County Department of Mental Health is ready to help. Just go to their website at dmh.lacouty.gov for more information. If you are in emergent need of services, please dial 911.