Trooper wins Award

On October 7, 2010, The Connecticut Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement (CABLE) presented the Chief Michael J. Fallon Memorial Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Leadership Award to Master Sergeant John Rich of the Connecticut State Police. 

The award, in memory of Chief Michael J. Fallon of the Hartford Police Department and the State Capitol Police, is given to a CIT police officer or trooper who shows exemplary performance and leadership in his or her duties when assisting persons in psychiatric or emotional crisis in the community.

Master Sergeant John Rich has served with the Connecticut State Police since April 1988. He was the Chairman of New London County Multidisciplinary Team for Investigation of Abuse and Neglect of Children.  He served as CIT Coordinator at Ledyard PD and currently holds that position at Troop D in Danielson.  Since 2007, he has also served as a peer contact and a member of the Steering Committee for the State Troopers Offering Peer Support Program.

The CIT program is a community partnership that involves working with mental health providers, consumers of mental health services and family members.  The goal is to set a standard of excellence for law enforcement officers with respect to treatment of individuals with mental illness. 

Troopers and officers are provided with the best quality training available through the CABLE which is funded by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.  As first responders, these officers are trained to safely de-escalate potentially violent situations with people in psychiatric emergencies while connecting them to community based mental health services whenever possible.

For more information about Law Enforcement Crisis Intervention Teams go to www.cableweb.org

###END###