Report on LMPD The Department
of Justice said officers need to
improve their interactions with
people with mental health issue.
That report also drew attentiono
one man who had 21 interactions
with LMPD in 21 months.
So tonight, folks,
Investigator Travis Brees is hee
bringing us the story of Keith
Smith and how agencies are tryig
to stop another case like this.
OK, Keith Smith
trapped in the criminal justice
system. OK, come on. Trying
to explain his situation.
He's having a rough timer on. Ny
could help. Keith Smith.
Keith case is very sad
until it was too late.
Keith Smith was a 66 year old
homeless man living in Louisvil.
He was well known to police as e
had 21 misdemeanor arrests betwn
March 2020 and January 2022.
His most common crime was beinga
nuisance at local businesses by
trespassing or being disruptive.
Virtually everyone of his cases
was dismissed or he had enough
credit for time served.
Cover his sentence.
He does suffer from this
young mental health illness.
Keith's mental health came up often in court,
but he was found competent to
stand trial in the summer of 20,
so he kept going back and forth
between the streets and the courtroom.
That sounds
like a recipe disaster.
Keith's last arrest was on Januy
5th of last year for trespassing
at a pizza place downtown.
He died four days later in Metro Corrections.
The cause of death was internal
bleeding and stomach ulcers
don't just. Put them in
the court and let them go.
You know, make sure that they're
getting the help they need.
Susan Klusman Turner is a peer
support specialist at Bridge Han
Mental Health Services on 1st S.
These make sense to you all.
She has schizophrenia and teaches other
peers how to help those in reco.
The path for everybody is
a little bit different.
In the March Department of Justice report,
the authors said Metros practicf
responding to behavioral health issues
are exemplified by Keith Smith and in.
Floored police to partner with mental
health professionals on calls.
About two months after Keith's death,
LMPD started its deflection
team with 7 counties.
The program allows 911 dispatchs
to divert certain calls to mentl
health workers who speak to the caller
and choose the appropriate resp.
It started in one police divisin
and is expanding to the whole c.
In the 1200 calls that we recei,
what we saw was we were able to
help people who were having some
distress. That didn't require
a police officer.
The mayor's office, LMPD and seven counties
all declined to interview for this story.
While the city works on the police side,
experts say the courts have neeo
in most situations. There is
no obvious. Course to take
Damon Preston is the head of puc
defenders throughout the Commonwealth.
Preston says the fact that Keith
only committed misdemeanors gave
him virtually no shot at getting
court appointed psych treatment.
Because the parties always wanto
reach a speedy outcome and the t
common result is a fine or probation,
people don't get treatment.
As part of the outcome of the c,
because it's just not necessary,
they they can get out of jail
without getting treatment,
Preston says. Leaders across the state
are starting to realize this is,
and it was the focus of a recent mental
health summit at the Galt House.
If it's a crime that doesn't haa
specific harm or specific victi,
I would hope with that the focus would
be on how do we make the future better?
A person with mental illness.
Their survival is based
on their relationships.
Plusman Turner believes Keith dd
because he had no relationships.
She hopes that as we improve the system,
we meet people where they are and notice
when someone is stuck in a cycl,
even the sickest of people can be helped.
A spokesperson for the Mayor's office
says the Community Care Campus t
is going to be going in the Smoketown
neighborhood will be a resourcer
homeless people with mental health issues.
They are hoping to have a phased
opening of that project with it
starting by the end of this yea.
LMPD also says that the Deflection team
will be expanding to 10:00 AM to 10:00
PM starting on Saturday, July 1.
It has been available starting
at 2:00 PM over its first year.
In the studio,
Travis Brees WHAS 11 On Your Si.