SCPD teams up with mental health professionals to serve those in crisis

By Sgt. Jeremy McClure, Community Policing Sergeant

In the Safe Policing for Safe Communities Executive Order Signed by the President recently, direction for police departments to partner with mental health providers when responding to people dealing with mental health, homelessness, and addiction was included. For the Sioux City Police Department, partnering with mental health professionals is business as usual.

“We seek to make these types of partnerships that improve the quality of service we can provide to the people we serve,” said Dutler “We often find that we are leaders in national trends and ahead of other departments in implementing these types of programs.”

One of those partnerships is with the Mobile Crisis Assessment Team or MCAT. The unit is composed of mental health professionals provide by the Sioux Rivers Assessment Regional Health & Disability Center that can respond with law enforcement to the location of the individual in crisis.

In 2019, the Sioux City Police Department documented over 2,800 times in which officers checked the welfare of someone. In many cases, the person being checked on were experiencing a crisis and could benefit from the help of a mental health professional. Initially, Sioux City officers had little available options for helping someone in crisis. Often, the only available option was to take them to a hospital emergency room. The partnership with MCAT has changed that.

“We send out two people trained in mental health and crisis intervention,” said Nicole Eaton, program director for Sioux Rivers. “The assessment team can then determine the level of care the person needs.”

Officers sent to check on a person determine if the matter is a mental health issue. After ensuring the safety of the scene, they will contact the MCAT and request that they come to their location. When MCAT arrives and determines that officers are not needed, then officers leave the person in the care of the MCAT. The team will then assess the person’s need for a higher level of care and if needed, will transport that person to a care facility or make appropriate referrals. The MCAT is available 24 hours a day and will respond within 60 minutes.

The MCAT was developed as part of a mandate from the State of Iowa for mental health service providers to create mobile assessment teams. Sioux Rivers was contracted by Rolling Hills Community Services Region to provide MCAT services.

“We recognized early on that there needed to be a partnership between MCAT and emergency responders in order to make this program work correctly,” said Eaton.

Seeing the opportunity to improve services provided to people in crisis or with mental health problems, the Sioux City Police Department embraced the program and trained all officers to utilize it.

“The chief has been very supportive in implementing the program,” said Officer Andrew Dutler who represents the department on the MCAT committee. “We started working with Sioux Rivers in implementing the MCAT in early 2019 and began utilizing it in November of 2019.”

For years the department has provided training to officers to help people with mental health problems and to better respond to people in emotional crisis. Some officers received additional specialized training to help in its response to people with mental health problems.  

“Although our officers received training on helping people with mental health problems or that are in crisis, the MCAT provides a higher level of specialized care and relieves officers from a non-criminal matter,” added Dutler.

Since partnering with the MCAT, the department called them out 47 times according to statistics compiled by Sioux Rivers. In 26% of the call outs, the person was taken to higher level of care and the other 74% were referred to other resources and diverted from hospital emergency rooms.

“The goal of our program is to not only assess children and adults to help determine safety and whether they need a higher level of care, but to also provide resources and follow-up support so that we can intervene in a cycle in which individuals are continually in crisis without knowing what to do or how to get help,” explained Eaton.

The partnership between the Sioux City Police Department and the MCAT continues to grow. Now with more attention being paid to how law enforcement can better serve those in our community with mental health issues, this partnership will undoubted be looked to as a successful model.

“Recently, we discussed further that with police reform being at the forefront in the nation, that it will be an even more valuable tool for law enforcement to utilize when responding to mental health related calls,” added Eaton. “We are committed to working with SCPD to strengthen that bond and partnership that we have developed over the last year and continue to work together to service our mental health community.”

Arrests made in overnight protests

UPDATED JUNE 6 - Name of a party that was arrested was omitted and another party’s name was mistakenly reported twice.

On May 31 at about 5:00 pm, a few protesters convened in front of the Sioux City Police Department. During the evening, the size of the crowd grew and it was estimated that up to 400 people were outside of the station at one point.

The protest continued past midnight and a handful of people tried to instigate more violent demonstrations. Several times, other members of the protest worked to keep things peaceful.

Officers thorough out the evening took steps to deescalate any conflict by removing themselves from areas the protesters were at.   

After midnight, members of the crowd became more aggressive and attempted to provoke officers. When their attempts failed to provoke a reaction from officers, people began throwing rocks and other objects at officers and patrol cars. Rocks were also thrown at the police station causing damage to a window.

Due to the fact that the crowd was becoming more violent, it was deemed an unlawful assembly and ordered to disperse at around 3:00 am. Several people refused that order and officers moved in to disperse them. During their attempts to disperse the crowd, rocks were thrown at officers striking several officers. Officers were forced to use some O.C. powder and spray to continue dispersing the violent crowd.

The following people were arrested.

-          Khatija J. Mills, 19-years-old, Sioux City, 2nd Degree Criminal Mischief

-          Mauke R. Butler, 28-years-old, Sioux City, Failure to Disperse

-          Dieo D. Okamba-Onolenga, 19-years-old, Sioux City, Simple Assault

-          Zaire Dean, 22-years-old, Sioux City, Unlawful Assembly

-          Nolan J. Warchorn, 22-years-old, Sioux City, Unlawful Assembly

-          Alvreez L. James, 23-years-old, Sioux City, Assault on a Peace Officer, Eluding a Peace Officer, Fail to Disperse

-          Colin t. Kochevar, 25-years-old, Sioux City, Unlawful Assembly

-          Joseph R. Smith, 38-years-old, Lawton, Unlawful Assembly

-          Hayley M. Gibson, 22-years-old, Sioux City, Unlawful Assembly

-          Keegan A. Kinzie, 20-years-old, Sioux City, Assault on a Peace Officer, Fail to Obey a Peace Officer, Failure to Disperse, Interference with Official Acts, Possession of a Control Substance

-          Aaliah R. Cruz, 18-years-old, Sioux City, Unlawful Assembly

-          Jada R. Swanson, 19-years-old, Sioux City, Unlawful Assembly

-          Siera Johnson, 19-years-old, Sioux City, Unlawful Assembly

-          Two juveniles were also arrested for failing to obey officers’ orders to disperse.  

Five officers received minor injuries when they were struck with rocks and assaulted by protesters during arrests. Numerous patrol cars were also damaged by the violent crowd.

The Sioux City Police Department supports the public’s 1st Amendment right to assembly and to protest peacefully and have demonstrated our support of people exercising this right. We are saddened that last night’s demonstration that started peacefully degraded to violence. We are thankful no one involved tonight was seriously injured. We will continue working with community groups to strengthen our relationships with members of the community and provide fair and equitable law enforcement services.

Sioux City Police Department and Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office joint statement on the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis Minnesota.

First, we are saddened by the tragic events that occurred in Minneapolis. We extend our deepest condolences to the family of George Floyd, as well as the community in the Minneapolis area who are struggling to deal with the aftermath of this incident. 

This event has sparked outrage and fear in our nation. We as a Siouxland Community must seize this opportunity for constructive dialogue that will foster healing and assurance. 

Sioux City area Law Enforcement officers and deputies work tirelessly to build trust and relationships with the community we serve. We see our role as public servants and protectors as a noble calling. It requires a deep dedication to fair and impartial professional law enforcement services. 

Our men and women enter this profession with a sincere desire to preserve and respect the sanctity of life. They are trained to understand the many different issues that confront our diverse community to better address the fears and concerns that come with being a person of color. 

Both the Sioux City Police Department and Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office have deeply invested our resources in community cultural outreach and agency transparency for many years. We welcome our residents to communicate with us to build stronger unions for the safety and well-being of all citizens. One innocent life lost is too many.

We give this community our solemn pledge that we will continue to offer our hand in friendship to build community partnerships, and maintain and environment of openness and respect for all that we serve. Our recovery as a community from tragic events such as this will be difficult, but we will do it together. In unity there is healing. 

Statement from Sioux City Police Chief Rex Mueller​                    Woodbury County Sheriff Dave Drew

SCPD STAFF AND COVID-19 UPDATE APRIL 21

Several members of the Sioux City Police Department were diagnosed positive for COVID-19. These employees have been recovering and the SCPD is seeing many of these individuals return to work following Public Health and physician approval. As a public safety agency, we thought it appropriate to release limited information in the interest of transparency.

Among the SCPD staff impacted were 9 individuals of various positions with the SCPD to include the police chief, a police captain, two police lieutenants, a police sergeant, police officer and 3 civilian staff members.

These employees worked in close proximity in two offices on 2nd floor of police headquarters and were not in positions that worked closely with the public. Most reported mild symptoms following their diagnosis with two having to seek medical treatment. Since the diagnosis of these individuals, no other officers or employees have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and the department continues to operate with full staffing to respond to 911 calls and provide essential services.

The department continues to employ policies and procedures to mitigate the exposure of officers and employees, as well as to mitigate any chance of spreading the virus. We are working to seek the highest level of caution and safety for our SCPD team as well as the citizens that we serve.

The SCPD also appreciates the outpouring of support and assistance from the community following the discovery of cases within our department. We were overwhelmed with the support of community members and their desire to provide resources to the officers and staff to assist them in staying healthy as they continued their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chief has spoken to several of the department’s members to gauge their interest in speaking to the media about their symptoms and experience with the virus. Because this is a privacy issue, we do not intend to mandate these employees speak publicly. Several have expressed willingness to speak out, and when a final group is determined, we will notify our partners in the media so that interviews can be arranged.

Updated April 21, 2020 at 1:20 pm

Arrest made in Morningside Murder

UPDATE - The name of the victim of the murder that occurred on April 14 at 3811 Peters Ave Apt. #5 is 55-year-old Lisa Belk of Sioux City.

We wish to express our deepest sympathies to her family for their loss.

The other victim was a 28-year-old female who was treated and released for injuries she sustained. She is the daughter of the Lisa Belk. Her name is not being released at this time out of respect for her privacy.

Paul Belk, who has been charged for this matter, is the son of Lisa Belk and a brother to the other adult victim.

This incident stemmed from some sort of disturbance between the involved parties. Detectives are still investigating the exact details as this is an on-going investigation.

ORIGINAL RELEASE - On 4/14/20 at 18:11 hours, Sioux City Police Department Officers were dispatched to 3811 Peters Ave #5 for a disturbance.  Upon arrival, officers located two victims with stab wounds.  Both of these parties were transported to MercyOne Medical Center.  One of the victims received serious injuries, and one of the victims died as a result of the wounds. 

The arrested party is, Paul Belk from Beaufort, South Carolina. 30 years old

He has been charged with 1st Degree Murder and Willful Injury Class D.

No further information is being released at this time pending notification of family.

Phishing Scams -- How to Identify and Avoid Becoming a Victim of Pop-Up Scams

*Pop-up warning scams*

Pop-ups occur when you’re browsing the internet and sees a small graphic or ad appear on their screen. Pop-ups are usually related to the content being viewed and link to another website with similar content or merchandise.

Malicious pop-ups can be terribly intrusive, making it difficult for the user to close the pop-up window. These pop-ups may display a message stating that the computer is infected with malware and offer a phone number for help with removing the malware. Cybercriminals often make pop-ups look like they come from a trusted source, such Norton, or other anti-virus products to appear legitimate.

Protect yourself against pop-up scams:

• Examine the message closely. Look for obvious signs of fraud such as poor spelling and bad grammar.

• When in doubt, never click on a pop-up. Instead, open your antivirus software and run a system scan.

• Pop-ups from legitimate anti-virus sources will only appear within the interface of the security software you’ve purchased. Customer support from your anti-virus software will not send users unsolicited pop-ups stating that they will fix a user’s computer if given remote access.

Phishing Scams -- How to Identify and Avoid Becoming a Victim of Tech Support Scam Calls

We rely on our computers and electronic devices for our professional and personal day to day activity. These devices need to run fast and efficient, so what should you do when someone calls claiming your device has been compromised by a virus or malware?

*Tech support call scams*

Tech support cold calls are when a scammer calls a potential victim claiming to be from a reputable security company. They lie and say they found malware on the victim’s computer.

The criminal pretends to offer a solution by getting the user to install a type of remote desktop software. This allows the scammer access to the computer to install real malware. In addition to attempting to install malware on the machine, these scammers will often ask for a fee to “fix” the issue.

How to help protect yourself against tech support call scams:

• If a person calls claiming to work for a specific, well-known company, look up the phone number online before you take any further action.

• Never allow remote access to your computer or devices.

Phishing Scams -- How to Identify and Avoid Becoming a Victim of Vishing

As promised, here is another type of phishing scam known as “Vishing.” Equip yourself with the knowledge and power to protect you and your loved ones from scammers. As we’ve mentioned before, with continued advances and reliance on technology, scammers have several ways they attempt to gain access to our personal information, and here’s another:

*Vishing scams*

Vishing (voice or VoIP phishing) is the voice version of email phishing. “V” stands for voice, but otherwise, the scam attempt is the same. It is a phone scam in which individuals are tricked or scared into handing over valuable financial or personal information to scammers.

How to help protect yourself against vishing scams:

• Never give personal information over the phone. Hang up, look for the number of the company on their official website, and call them directly to confirm legitimacy. 

• Don’t return a call to the original number. When looking up the company website, make sure it is legitimate. Fake websites often contain misspellings and poor grammar.

Phishing Scams -- How to Identify and Avoid Becoming a Victim of Email Phishing

As the public is continually updated and inundated with information about the coronavirus, scammers have been upping their game to take advantage of folks during this vulnerable time. With continued advances and reliance on technology, scammers have several ways they attempt to gain access to our personal information.

*Email Phishing Scams*

An email phishing scam is a fraudulent email message that appears to be from a person or company known to the victim. It attempts to illegally gather personal and/or financial information from the recipient, which is the goal of most scams.

A phishing message typically includes at least one link to a fake website, designed to mimic the site of a legitimate business. The message entices the recipient to provide information that could be used for identity theft or online financial theft.

How to help PROTECT YOURSELF against email phishing scams:

• Do not click any links or download any attachments. Instead, open your web browser and go to the website in question to verify the legitimacy of the email/company.

• Be vigilant. Pay attention. Phishers have been known to use real company logos to make their communications seem legitimate. They also use spoofed email addresses, which are like the actual company’s address. However, the address may be misspelled slightly or come from a spoofed domain.

Police and Fire Headquarters lobby closed

Amid concerns regarding COVID-19, the City of Sioux City is taking every possible precaution to protect the health and safety of its employees and residents while continuing to deliver high quality service.

As part of this effort, the lobby of the Police & Fire Headquarters has been closed to visitors.

If you require Immediate emergency assistance, please call 911.

If you wish to make a report with an officer, call 712-279-6960 and an officer will be sent to your location or contact you.

If you wish to obtain a copy of a police report or need a tow release, call 712-279-6440.

If you are requesting the return of property, call 712-279-6977.

If you wish to speak to the Fire Department, call 712-279-6314.

If you do not have a phone, there is a video doorbell in the middle of the station doors that will be answered.

Until further notice, the department is not taking fingerprints.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your cooperation.

The Sioux City Police Department and Woodbury County Emergency Managementcongratulate CERT graduates.

Sioux City Police Chief, Rex Mueller, and Woodbury County Emergency Management Coordinator, Rebecca Socknat are proud to announce the graduation of 9 CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) participants.  Certificates were awarded to the graduates on February 18, 2020, at The Security Institute located on the campus of Western Iowa Tech Community College. 

This is the seventeenthyear that Homeland Security funding has been used to offer CERT training to the Volunteers In Police Service and Citizen Academy graduates and more than 320 participants have received CERT training over the 17 years. The Sioux City Police Department is grateful for this partnership and opportunity to offer this annual training.      

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, using a model created by the Los Angeles City Fire Department, began promoting nationwide the use of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept in 1994.  CERT training promotes a partnering effort between emergency services and the people that they serve.  The goal is for emergency personnel to train members of neighborhoods, community organizations, or workplaces in basic response skills.  If a disastrous event overwhelms or delays the community’s professional response, CERT members can assist by helping their families and neighbors until emergency help arrives at the scene.  CERT skills also apply to daily emergencies that may occur, and have been used to help save lives of some of our local citizens in the past.  

The CERT training consisted of classes that covered the following topics: Emergency Management, DisasterPreparedness & Homeland Security; Communications Center and 911; Severe Weather Training; Fire Suppression; General First Aid; Heat Related Injuries &Infectious Diseases; and Adult, Child & Infant CPR.

Congratulations to the Sioux City Police Department 

2020 CERT graduates who are as follows: Deb Andriessen, Jack Desrosiers, Mike Gill, Brad Grier, Jeanie Husted, Sandra Lopez, Sheila Schumann, Amy Towner, and Jimmy Towner