By Lorraine Jewett | Special to The Union
Paws on Patrol. Canine cop Rüdiger is back on the beat after a severe injury, complicated surgery, and lengthy recovery. Rüdiger has been out on five months of “sick leave” from the Grass Valley Police Department. “One morning last fall, Rüdiger was awkwardly climbing the stairs, started falling backwards, and luckily I caught him,” recalls GVPD Canine Handler Jesse Cloyd, who has worked and lived with Rüdiger for three years. “Veterinary examinations revealed he had a sciatic nerve injury, likely incurred before he joined our force. The pinched nerve, inflammation, and bulging disc ultimately made it difficult for him to walk.” Rüdiger endured a multi-hour surgery and 20-plus staples to close the foot-long incision in his back. Jesse who still had to perform his own job while Rüdiger recuperated at home thanks his wife for helping keep Rüdiger calm, quiet, fed and medicated properly during the K9’s recovery…
California Violence Intervention and Prevention social worker Kelly Gallaugher, left, and Grass Valley Police Officer Jonathan Brown speak with a member of the community last week in the Glenbrook Basin. Brown and Gallaugher are both trained in the Peace Officers and Standards Training (POST), which teaches officers how to work with mental health challenged people and encourages de-escalation.
Photo: Elias Funez
Nevada County law enforcement officials and advocates for homeless people are applauding a training program designed to improve police officer’s interactions with the homeless.
Hospitality House, the county’s largest homeless shelter, introduced the Peace Officers and Standards Training (POST) curriculum to Nevada County earlier this year, in partnership with regional law enforcement entities. These partner agencies include the Grass Valley Police Department, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, and the Nevada City Police Department.
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John Orona | Staff Writer
Nevada County’s law enforcement agencies agree: incarceration is not the right tool for every call that lands someone in jail.
The question is, how do they divert calls for service that are often ultimately mental health, homelessness or substance use issues away from the criminal justice system and toward supportive organizations?
Grass Valley and Nevada County are looking for that answer through separate pilot programs that team law enforcement officers with people trained to provide outreach services and resources.
According to Sheriff Shannan Moon, their program which paired a crisis specialist with a sheriff’s officer in December with the goal of de-escalating crises and reducing incidents of arrest and incarceration came as an extension of the agency’s services.