DARLINGTON, SC (WBTW) – On Monday, officers with the Darlington Police Department were able to attend classes on working with individuals with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, and victims of domestic violence.
Chief Danny Watson posted on the Darlington Police Department Facebook page that the classes were given by Cynthia Atkinson of Pee Dee Coalition, Eva Letki of the Saleeby Center, Elizabeth Brown of Care South Carolina Clinics and Pamela Prince of Pee Dee Coalition in the Darlington City Court Room.
“It is an unfortunate reality that there are a growing number of incidents with individuals suffering from mental health issues, as well as, those who have developmental disabilities. A number of incidents have led to injuries and deaths because of this barrier in communication. Our agency, like many others around the nation, have embraced training that will allow us to recognize the behaviors so that we can develop skills to deal with situations such as these so tragedy does not occur,” Watson said.
The chief says that the department is working towards better understanding of these conditions so they can better serve all types of people.