INDIANAPOLIS — Two bills affecting law enforcement policy authored by Sen. Mike Crider, R-Greenfield, were recently signed into law by the governor.
Gov. Eric Holcomb has so far signed two of Crider’s bills, Senate Bills 77 and 81. SB 77 deals with increasing confidentiality for peer counseling programs offered to first-responders, and SB 81 increases training required for investigators who deal with sexual assault cases.
SB 77 mandates that peer support services provided by law enforcement departments — often called critical incident stress management or CISM services — must be kept confidential except in a few cases. Exceptions include when the intention to commit a crime or spousal abuse is being disclosed. It also specifies that a provider of peer support services can’t be held liable for the actions of a person they are supporting, except in the case of willful or intentional misconduct.
“We know public safety personnel oftentimes consider the stress that’s involved in the job just part of the job, and we want them to take care of themselves emotionally as well as physically,” Crider said.
Hancock County Sheriff Brad Burkhart said the sheriff’s department has a CISM team and also has the ability to give employees referrals to services if they feel they need to talk to someone about a situation that arises on the job.
The Greenfield Police Department has a program called the Police Officer Support Team, or POST, that is similar, as well as counseling referrals available through an employee assistance program of the City of Greenfield.
Capt. Chuck McMichael of the GPD said the department will update its policy slightly to reflect the new legislation, but POST services are already confidential except in the cases of threats of suicide, homicide or other serious unlawful conduct, or admissions of child abuse.
“These programs are literally life-savers for emergency responders of all types,” McMichael said. “Most agencies are adopting policies and developing programs that focus on the mental health of the responders. Unlike the general public, police officers, firefighters and EMS personnel are exposed to trauma on a regular basis and need healthy ways to cope with it.”
Greenfield police officers who are involved in a critical incident are automatically referred to counseling. McMichael said he hopes more programs like this will help encourage police officers to seek help and decrease officers’ rates of suicide.
Another bill of Crider’s signed by the governor, Senate Bill 81, mandates additional training for officers who deal with sexual assault victims. The goal, Crider said, is to help them understand how trauma affects victims, including its potential impact on their memories, and to avoid re-traumatizing victims who go to the police to report an assault. The law also requires that the state’s law enforcement training board set specific guidelines for training on investigating sexual assault.
Crider said he worked with the organization RAINN (the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) on the bill.
“It’s another effort to try and get better evidence on the front side of those investigations,” he said.
Hancock County Detective Ted Munden said the sheriff’s department has training in place for investigators who could handle sexual assault cases. The topic is covered in the week-long course deputies take when they become detectives, and detectives also take classes specifically on interviewing crime victims.
Munden said the sheriff’s department has also been working recently with the county prosecutor’s office on this issue, and will be holding training open to all county agencies on trauma-sensitive interviewing.
Capt. Michael Schwamberger of the GPD said in an email that the department already has several investigators with relevant training in areas like trauma-informed interviewing, forensic interviewing and how trauma affects the brain. The department also works with victims’ advocates from the domestic violence nonprofit Alternatives.
“These cases do sometimes present different challenges (like memory recollection due to trauma) and it is vital that our investigators have the training and resources to not only assist victims, but to also conduct thorough and complete investigations for prosecuting those responsible for these types of crimes,” Schwamberger said.
Other bills Crider is waiting for the governor to sign also deal with the issues of mental health and domestic violence. Senate Bill 7 requires additional training for forensic nurses who deal with sexual assault victims, similar to training for law enforcement. Another, House Bill 79, started out as an effort to increase the penalty for domestic violence cases involving strangulation. The bill allows prosecutors to enhance sentencing for a crime involving strangulation if the perpetrator has previously committed a domestic violence offense.
In the House of Representatives, members added provisions creating a similar enhancement for domestic violence crimes that occur when there is a protective order in place. The bill now also creates guidance for schools for dealing with situations in which one student is granted a protective order against another. Crider said he approved of the amendments and thinks the bill is a strong one.
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The National Suicide Prevention Hotline can be reached through calling or texting 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).
The 24/7 sexual assault support line of Families First Indiana can be reached at 833-338-7277.
Copline, which provides peer support to active duty and retired police officers, can be reached at 1-800-267-5463.
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