The Culpeper Police Department regretfully announces the departure of both John Bankas and Tracy Ford from our Mental Health Co-Response program. The pair were employed Encompass Community Supports (formerly Rappahannock-Rapidan Community Services), and assigned to the Culpeper Police Department. We wish John and Tracy the best on their new endeavors.

John Bankas was assigned by Encompass to the Mental Health Co-Responder program in April 2021 and his incredible impact was immediately obvious. John had prior training and experience as a firefighter, pastor, professor, and professional clinician. During his very first ride-along, right after being hired, John responded to a suicidal Vietnam War veteran who was in crisis and threatening to barricade themselves inside their residence. Patrol officers brought John to the scene and John’s professional training, knowledge, and empathy resulted in the veteran agreeing to immediate treatment. Once John was formally hired, then-Chief Jenkins made the deliberate choice to place John’s work space in the middle of our Patrol division. That choice was influenced both by best practices from the International Co-Responder Alliance and Culpeper PD’s intention to nurture a mental health-conscientious culture. Our officers welcomed the embedded mental health professional, and John fit right in. It soon became apparent that the community’s needs exceeded the capabilities of one co-responder.

In January 2022, Tracy Ford was assigned by Encompass as our second embedded professional Mental Health Co-Responder. John covered the daytime hours while Tracy worked evenings and nighttime. Pairing her professional training with a no-nonsense compassion, Tracy was a seamless fit with the night patrol squads and soon accepted as an honorary member.

“As the pioneers of the program, John and Tracy have set the standard for what the public expects and needs from a law enforcement co-response program,” said Culpeper PD Captain Andrew Terrill. “The value of their daily interactions with officers and the public cannot be calculated. Despite their departures, their actions will have a long lasting effect on law enforcement, the co-response program, and our community as a whole.”

Working in tandem with our officers, John and Tracy responded to all types of calls for service, attended special events, and participated in our educational presentations. The pair wore khaki pants, polo shirts, and bulletproof vests that read “CO-RESPONDER” across the shoulders. Both co-responders became a common sight riding in the front passenger seat of the patrol cars. Having co-responders in the car with officers yielded numerous benefits:

• A person experiencing a mental health crisis had immediate access to a knowledgeable mental health professional trained in de-escalation and mitigation. This led to an increase in safer resolutions, increased the destigmatization of mental illness, fewer traumatic or confrontational interactions between persons in crisis and law enforcement, and lower rates of law enforcement use of force.
• Enabling immediate professional mental health involvement minimized law enforcement’s extended involvement in the mental health process. It also decreased arrests stemming from mental health crisis.
• Our officers initiated fewer Emergency Custody Orders (ECOs) which is when a person is taken into law enforcement custody for a mandated mental health evaluation due to concerns of suicidal or homicidal intention. Instead our Co-Responders could provide or refer the appropriate services and conduct follow-ups to ensure people were receiving the needed help. The ECO process can last anywhere from 8 hours to 24 hours. Effective diversions to less restrictive community-based alternatives meant our officers were back on patrol keeping the community safe faster than before.
• Even on calls that were necessarily labeled as “mental health” related, John and Tracy often provided resources and services for families in need. These services could be for family conflict, dangerous juvenile behavior, housing services, or abuse.
• During their follow-ups, John and Tracy were able to help citizens and their family members navigate the complex and frustrating mental health system. They were also able to provide support services to the victims of violence crimes or domestic abuse.
• The involvement of embedded mental health professionals led to increased public trust and cooperation when our officers responded to mental health crisis.
• An unexpected collateral benefit was the mental health of our officers and staff, especially as officer wellness concerns are at an all-time high within our profession. Our Co-Responders became members of our internal Peer Support Team.

“John and Tracey were able to fill a gap in mental health services by immediately providing resources, referrals, and follow-up at no cost to those in need that would otherwise take weeks or months to receive. They solidified that Law Enforcement and Mental Health go hand in hand, and that by working together we can help more of the community,” said Lieutenant Brittany Jenkins, the Culpeper PD Peer Support Team Coordinator.

In their two years, John and Tracy responded to approximately 1,485 calls for service and helped over 630 different people. Of the people that they helped, 148 people suffered from substance use disorder while another 311 had severe mental illness or emotional disturbance. John and Tracy helped 119 people navigate the Emergency Custody Order process and handled another 367 follow-ups.

“In speaking with various peers and mental health leaders throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and our country, I have not seen more effective solution being utilized than the embedded Mental Health Professional working alongside law enforcement as a co-responder,” said Deputy-Chief Tim Chilton.

“Having the co-responder program has been a huge benefit for the department and the community,” said K-9 Officer Michael Barone, one of the patrol officers John would sometimes ride with. “Unfortunately law enforcement is the catch all for a lot of the issues we don’t specialize in. John and Tracy took on a lot of the work load when dealing with mental health calls. The citizens we encountered had a great response to the co-responders when we had them with us. I am truly saddened to see John and Tracy go. They’re already missed.”

The Culpeper Police Department will continue to work alongside Encompass or any community partner and/or stakeholder to ensure this program continues its trail blazing success in the near future. The availability of these services had a profound impact on everyone who needed them all while keeping our officers on patrol keeping our neighborhoods safe. It is our hope that in the near future Encompass will once again provide our community with the same quality of services.