Calhoun County Sheriff Steve Hinkley understands the unique challenges that can arise when responding to an incident that includes a veteran. Veterans can be dealing with unseen troubles, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, a traumatic brain injury, depression, and other mental health concerns that arise from their time in the military and having to adjust to civilian life.
Law enforcement professionals are trained to respond, especially in Calhoun County with the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training by Summit Pointe, which helps law enforcement identify and appropriately handle mental health struggles in crisis situations.
Recently, Sheriff Hinkley developed a program to make it easier for veterans to recognize a responding deputy who perhaps has gone through something similar. Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office law enforcement deputies who have served in the military may now wear pins on their patrol uniform that signify which branch of military they served in and that they’re a veteran. The hope is that this can create trust and comfort with the veteran immediately, so they know they’re working with someone who might have a better understanding of their situation.
“In a crisis moment with a veteran, we want them to quickly recognize they are working with a deputy who has also served in the military and may have a better understanding of what they are experiencing. We hope this builds bridges with our veterans in all types of situations,” said Sheriff Steve Hinkley.
These pins were chosen and purchased in partnership with Calhoun County Veterans Affairs. Pins are available for deputies from all branches of military, and there is a general “Veteran” pin for those who have served in multiple branches or don’t wish to identify which branch they served in. Solutions are being considered for deputies in the jail to also identify whether they’re a veteran that does not include having a pin.
