Yale Police Patrol Unit – Doing good works

Last fall, the Yale Police Department (YPD) received a call about a homeless man sleeping under a dormitory room window outside of Jonathan Edwards College (JE). After evaluating the situation, the officers realized the man had mental health issues. They decided not to detain this individual but to find services to help him.

Officers Elizabeth “Liz” Vaccino and Martha Cedeno-Ross (now both sergeants) worked with the man for several weeks. They reached out to the shelter at Fellowship Place, Inc. in New Haven to find him housing, and then contacted the Department of Social Services to get him some mental health support. Officer Greg Swiantek joined the effort and got him some clean clothes.

While this was happening, the officers also communicated with the JE Dean Christina Ferando and the student who made the original complaint. They received regular updates about the progress that was being made to help the man find housing and medical services. “We explained to Dean Ferando and the student why we weren’t arresting him,” said Assistant Chief Anthony Campbell. “They weren’t aware that when people get arrested, their services are often forfeited. The dean and the student were both very appreciative of the updates and what we were doing to help him.”

Often the public sees police departments as places to call only for emergencies. But in reality, much of what they do falls under the realm of community policing. The YPD officers could have handed the man over to a caseworker, but they knew they could move the process along, so they kept at it until progress was made.

“There are individuals out there struggling, and sometimes they or the people around them don’t know what to do,” said Campbell. “At the YPD, we have a non-emergency number that you can call. We can be conduits for people to connect them with the right resources to change their lives. We can also offer friendship to all members of the Yale and New Haven communities.”