[New-york-news] FW: Senate Hearing: Law Enforcement Responses to People with Disabilities Testimony Template

[JULIE PHILLIPSON]

Please send this on to others.




-----Original Message-----
From: Samantha L. Morgan [mailto:slmorgan at niagara.edu] 
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2014 6:08 PM
To: David Whalen
Subject: Senate Hearing: Law Enforcement Responses to People with
Disabilities Testimony Template

We are sending this to you as you represent an organization that has worked
with and supported NU FR DAT, are an individual who has played a key role
in our program, you are an advocate for people with disabilities, or you
are a first responder who has embraced our program.

If you have not already sent testimony on your own, we are providing you
with a template (as requested by some) that you can customize. Please CC us
or forward a copy of your testimony to us.

Your testimony should be sent to Durbin_Testimony at Judiciary-dem.Senate.gov.

See below for the information we forwarded last week. 

We appreciate your time and efforts.

David V. Whalen
Project Director
First Responder Disability Awareness Training Niagara University
716-286-7355
dwhalen at niagara.edu
frdat at niagara.edu

We are sending this important information to you as it directly pertains to
law enforcement disability awareness training. The Senate Judiciary
Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights is hosting
a hearing on April 29, 2014 at 10:00am entitled "Law Enforcement Responses
to Disabled Americans: Promising Approaches for Protecting Public Safety."
You can play an important role by submitting testimony on the significance
and need for education and awareness within law enforcement. We ask that
you mention our program in your statement.

Niagara University's First Responder Disability Awareness Training office
is submitting written testimony on this important issue. We encourage you
to also submit testimony - this will stress the importance of this topic.
The links below will direct you on how to do so.

Law Enforcement Responses to Disabled Americans:  Promising Approaches for
Protecting Public Safety Hearing Before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee
on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights

Date:               April 29, 2014
Time:               10:00 a.m.
Location:         Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226 (room location is
tentative; check Senate Judiciary Committee website to confirm

Description:  U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Senate's Assistant
Majority Leader and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the
Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights, will chair a hearing entitled
"Law Enforcement Responses to Disabled Americans:  Promising Approaches for
Protecting Public Safety." Because of inadequate social and mental health
services, law enforcement officers have increasingly become the first
responders for individuals with mental illness or developmental
disabilities who are in crisis. Recent high-profile tragedies have
demonstrated the need for law enforcement officers to receive additional
training to safely address these situations. State and local law
enforcement agencies have taken the lead in developing innovative
solutions, such as Crisis Intervention Teams. Localities that use these
approaches have seen fewer injuries and deaths among officers and people
with mental illness or developmental disabilities, increased jail diversion
rates, fewer lawsuits following crisis incidents, and stronger ties with
the mental health and disability communities. This hearing will explore how
Congress and the Executive Branch can support and strengthen these efforts.

Statements for the Record: Chairman Durbin invites advocates and
stakeholders to offer their perspectives and experiences on these issues by
submitting written testimony to be included in the hearing record.  These
statements help educate Committee members about this issue and are
important to demonstrating community interest.  Statements must be
submitted as a PDF or Word Document of 10 pages or less, and should be
emailed to Durbin_Testimony at Judiciary-dem.Senate.gov as early as possible,
but no later than Monday, April 28, 2014 at 5:00 p.m.  Please note that the
Subcommittee cannot accept previously published information, such as
newspaper articles or reports, as a statement for the record.

Senator Dick Durbin is Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on the
Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights. The Subcommittee has
jurisdiction over all constitutional issues, and all legislation and policy
related to civil rights, civil liberties and human rights. The Ranking
Member of the Subcommittee is Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX).

Through the efforts of Niagara University, New York is the only state in
the country that has a comprehensive, statewide law enforcement and
firefighter/EMS disability awareness training program. Niagara University
works with state offices, associations, and councils to ensure that every
first responder receives proper, current, and accurate training and
information to address matters with knowledge and confidence. Visit our
website,
www.fr-dat.com<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001BzVIOZbFtDJHIB-4CJG8gY_R4BlSv
XII1Hj_iiyYAzGbLAi3Ce5VBAsSwRQ3iKkOBozQELLCCJH1X1ZtbXUIiyis8HhWery1VyKjzNJZ
gpJQ-906iEymt_AAtBWUcQjCTGNvXi4bgHlzuitWRapURyDGlAHyX89StdA4BLoFgZ0=&c=pXcv
Ew1hkW9Hu2UKNFC11mzG_psCteaq59ZlGZVVRMU_sZ4ec9MAKA==&ch=IUn7F3fCcWCv6-Qeqap
oEqSFraiHfNaylcFkSxlE3ZYz0vowsQmUgg==>, for more information.
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