WEST PLAINS, Wash. — A crisis response team in the West Plains is using a new style of policing focused on connecting people with resources rather than making arrests.
The West Plains Crisis Response Team, run by the Airway Heights and Cheney police departments, recently added two new members to bring the all-women team to four responders and a K-9. This week marks the first time they are all responding to calls together.
The team consists of two mental health clinicians, two officers, and Tonks, a therapy dog who plays a critical role in de-escalating tense situations.
“She will come in and calm them down and allow us to continue working with them. That is a huge de-escalation piece,” said Officer Maria Fell, a co-responder on the crisis response team.
Jenny McClelland, a clinician on the West Plains Crisis Response Team, said the approach addresses a significant need in the area.
“Both Cheney and Airway Heights tend to be kind of resource deserts. And so, we’ve worked really hard to work as a team to help bring resources to both communities,” McClelland said.
The most common incidents the team responds to involve mental health issues or people struggling with addiction. But their work extends beyond the initial call.
“We’re responding to people in crisis, but we don’t stop there. We end up following up later on, in hopes of preventing another crisis in the future,” Officer Fell said.
The crisis response team has its own car, allowing them to transport people directly to appointments or resources if needed.
“We can make referrals in real time and schedule appointments for individuals on scene that maybe don’t have a phone,” McClelland said.
The team’s approach has surprised community members who are accustomed to traditional law enforcement encounters.
“[The community] is surprised by the different nature of officer encounters, as far as just providing resources and not the enforcement side of things,” Fell said.
So far this year, the crisis response team has responded to 812 calls for service, with nearly all resulting in peaceful resolutions. The team hopes to continue expanding its work as the need continues to rise.
“If we can get in there and get people connected to resources and services to prevent them from going to jail or to the hospital, that’s really important to us,” McClelland said.
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