Westport Police Talk Crisis With Local Youths

The first Westport Cop Shop of 2014 is slated for this week and will cover “Crisis Intervention and Teens: What happens when the cops are called during a crisis involving kids."

The Cop Shop, an informal, round table discussions between police officers and kids, will take place at Toquet Hall on Wed., Jan. 29.

Westport Officer Erin Shaw, a member of the Crisis Intervention Team and Westport Officer Shawn Sember, former Commander of the Trumbull Police Dept Hostage Negotiation Team will share information on police protocol and Sandra Sinquefield, a clinician from the Emergency Mobile Crisis Team will give an overview of support services available to kids in crisis, according to a release from the Westport Police Department.

“A partnership of the Department of Human Services and the Westport Police Department, The Westport Police-Youth Collaborative (WPYC) seeks to foster respect and understanding between cops and kids in Town by creating opportunities for them to plan and implement programs which they believe will help foster communication and build trust with one another.” said Elaine Daignault, an adult advisor to the group.

The event is viewed as an opportunity for middle school and high school aged youth to learn more about suicide prevention and intervention and for officers to get to know more young people in the community in a non-enforcement capacity.

For more information on the Westport Police-Youth Collaborative or to get involved contact elained@westportct.gov.