University Police Chief Scott Ewanow ’06 and Madison Geddes ’24, the chief of operations of Geneseo First Response. (SUNY Geneseo/Matt Burkhartt)
SUNY Geneseo’s University Police Department (UPD), through the college’s Office of Finance and Business Development, recently received a $250,000 award from the Bureau of Justice Assistance for Crisis Response and Intervention Training (CRIT). The grant will support the development and implementation of training programs to enhance police and first-responder preparedness and to improve responses to individuals in crisis who have physical or behavioral health conditions, or intellectual or developmental disabilities at the College.
This training will also provide for:
- the establishment of a partnership between law enforcement and mental health providers to serve as CRIT curriculum trainers.
- the completion of CRIT training for up to 100 university police officers, first responders, and area law enforcement personnel.
- strengthened relationships between the University Police Department and SUNY Geneseo’s student support service departments.
“Year to year, UPD responds to a greater number of calls related to the mental health of our students. This grant will give us an opportunity to enhance our response and help our students in times of need,” says UPD Police Chief Scott Ewanow '06. “The additional focus on neurodivergent students will help ensure we are better prepared to work with this portion of the student population and help all students feel like they belong here at SUNY Geneseo.”