Officer tries to end police stigma with community efforts

PLATTSBURGH | There have been a lot of changes in the United States within the past year. Police brutality has been thrown into the limelight, and an increasingly talked about topic in society. As a result, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) made an executive order demanding police reform, with specific topics each police department around New York has to address. The City of Plattsburgh recently approved and released its police reform plan. This plan mentioned the word "community" several times throughout it. According to Officer Brad Miller, a community resource officer for the City of Plattsburgh, the city is 2.5 years ahead. The Plattsburgh City Police Department Community Center has already been doing what the police reform plan has recommended. "We've been doing this for 2.5 years," Miller said. Changes are underway as the Plattsburgh City Police Department is working with Clinton County Mental Health and Addiction Services Director of Community Services Richelle Gregory, to develop a Crisis Intervention Team, referred to as CIT. CIT will be composed of mental health and addiction professionals and law enforcement. The city police and Gregory are also working on creating a Mental Health Assessment Form, which will become part of the paperwork done for reports. "We're trying to put together a Mental Health Screening and Assessment Form to determine what action is appropriate for certain calls of service regarding emotionally disturbed persons or individuals with an altered mental status," Miller explained. The completed forms will be submitted to Clinton County Mental Health and Addiction Services for evaluation. These are just two examples of some of the steps the city is taking in its police reform efforts. Miller said there hasn't been death by a police officer in the past 19 years, "There have been no deaths resulted from a police officer since I've been here." "Nobody hates a bad cop more than a good cop, so when you see something like that with the George Floyd incident, nine seconds would've been long enough...," Miller said. He went on to say that we're very fortunate to live in this area and be surrounded by our community. He mentioned various instances that the community and police have worked together, such as the Black Lives Matter protest last year. Miller believes his role in the community and the community center helps establish this relationship. "Programs like this, I think, help establish those relationships in the community," stated Miller. Miller isn't just a community resource officer he is also a certified recovery coach. "When I had my training, I want to say it was 2019, I was told it's groundbreaking. That there wasn't another police officer in the state that was a certified recovery coach," recalled Miller. A recovery coach is a person who provides an outlet to people who have an addiction and need recovery or are in recovery. Miller believes that if he can help fight the stigma against mental health and addiction whilst in uniform, it helps fight the stigma against police as well. Miller became a cop to try to help people, and with the community center as a resource, he tries to make a positive impact on someone's life every day. This can be seen through Explorers Post 3411, a youth explorer program that Miller runs. This program takes kids ages 14 to 20 and teaches them responsibility, respect, integrity, professionalism, and life experience from job shadowing at the Plattsburgh City Police Department. "It's unlike any program around, there's nothing like it in the tri-county area. It's hands-on, they not only observe police operations but they get involved. They're responding to calls, including emergencies," said Miller. Anyone and everyone are welcome at the community center, not just the youth."I'm open to conversation with anybody and everybody. I have an open-door policy," Miller stated. "I hope it does give people hope, we don't have to be separate from the rest of the people in the community, why can't we be part of the community," explained Miller on the purpose of the community center. The community center was opened not only as a resource for the community but to help create a relationship between the community and police. It's this relationship that Miller works day in and out trying to build, so future generations aren't scared every time they see the police. "...Please don't use me to scare your child, because that's what they see, and later on in life, they become afraid of the police," Miller said in reference to parents threatening their kids with the police.

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Officer tries to end police stigma with community efforts

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