A mental health crisis is in full swing, according to Martin County Sheriff William Snyder.
"It feels to us like it's getting worse."
Snyder told county commissioners this week that his deputies have responded to more than 2,300 calls directly related to a mental health issue of some kind between January 1st of 2019 and the end of last month.
"I've had five deputies in the last few months that have pulled triggers and shot people...all with mental illness. And that's despite our best efforts."
The average number of calls involving mental health have risen from 83 in 2020 to 93 this year and Snyder says the Martin County Jail has evolved into the largest mental health facility in the county.
So the sheriff tells CBS 12 that his agency is trying to come up with a new way to respond to calls involving someone with a mental illness.
"Often times people having a mental health crisis when law enforcement arrive, it's almost a trigger. So we're trying to subdue it. We're trying to make it so that when we get there, we can become part of the solution rather than exacerbating a problem."
He wants deputies wearing something other than the standard uniform to show up along with civilians who are trained to deal with mental illness.
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