The Portage County Crisis Intervention Team graduated its ninth class in October. Class members attended a week-long training sponsored by the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County and the Portage County Sheriff’s Office. The purpose of the class is to provide safety forces with tools including de-escalation techniques to work with people in crisis, some with mental illness. Class members were Ashley Baden of Coleman Access; Deanna Tackett of Coleman Access; Dispatcher Josee Acklin of the Streetsboro Police Department; Officer Nicole Lipcsey of the Kent Police Department; Fire Medic Brock Bailey of the Streetsboro Fire Department; Lt. Jim Bucks of Streetsboro Fire; Officer Jeff Blubaugh of Robinson Memorial Hospital; Sgt. James Mitchell of the Sheriff’s Office; Officer Jared Bowen of the Kent Police Department; Officer Joseph Hadaway of Kent PD; and Ptl. Steve Chapman of the Hiram Police Department. Instructors and coordinators included Sgt. Andy Suvada of the Streetsboro PD, Officer Jeff Futo of Kent State University Police Services, Major Dennis Missimi of the Sheriff’s Office and Joel Mowrey, Ph.D., executive director of the MHRB.
