JAG grant for the Battle Creek Police Department and the Calhoun County Sheriff's Department

The Battle Creek Community Foundation in partnership with Battle Creek Police Department (BCPD) and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) are applying to fund a police explorer program and camera technology. The goal of this initiative is to expand BCPD’s collaborative response and create a more comprehensive effort by law enforcement to connect individuals with recent traumatic events to themselves or family members in connecting with resources for medical and mental health treatment.

The population of the City of Battle Creek is 52,721, the ethnic composition is composed of 61.8% White, 17.6% Black, 7.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% Multi-racial, 5.06% Asian, .05% American Indian & Alaska Native, 0% Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander.  The target population are the households within the city.  The poverty rate is 22.2%.

Calhoun County, of which the City of Battle Creek is the largest metropolitan area, ranks in the bottom 10% of Michigan counties for healthy behaviors/overall health outcomes. Residents report an average 4.5 days/month of poor mental health, higher than surrounding counties in Michigan and 1.45 times higher than top US counties (CountyHealthRankings.org). Bronson Hospital reports that psychoses hospitalization rates in Calhoun County (64.4 per 10,000) are 41% higher than other Michigan counties (Bronson, 2016). Suicide is a particular concern as suicide deaths, 17 deaths per 100,000 people, outpace the state and nation, both 13 deaths per 100,000 people (Bronson, 2016).

BCPD and CCSO have received a previous Edward Byrne JAG grant (15BJA-22-GG-02421-JAGX) for community events reducing gun violence and updating the Emergency Operations Center. Having the new technology and the police explorer program will keep the community engaged in positive policing and will provide youth exposure to a vocational education program to explore a career in law enforcement.