By Phillip Amsterburg, Juvenile Probation Services Manager, 37th Circuit Court
Many communities today have recognized that there is a problem when service providers work only within their own silo and have minimal communication with other agencies. In 2015, the Calhoun County Juvenile Probation Department was given the opportunity to have a juvenile probation officer work as an “embedded agent” directly within the Battle Creek Police Department. This juvenile probation officer, along with the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) probation/parole officer, members of the county’s community mental health provider, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services together created the Battle Creek Police Department Fusion Program. This team has opened doors of communication among agencies, which has created better opportunities to properly serve the youth and families of Calhoun County.
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| The Fusion Program team, from left to right: Chad Spencer, Michigan Department of Corrections; Kevin Kellems, 37th Circuit Court-Family Division; Melinda Holiday, Summit Point (mental health provider); Meghan Taft, Summit Pointe; Lt. Matt Robinson, BCPD; Detective Stephanie Estree, BCPD; Whitney Perido, Crime Analyst, BCPD; and Major Steve Bush, BCPD |
This MDOC-embedded agent process was so rewarding that the Battle Creek Police Department and MDOC thought it would be a good idea to involve other community stakeholders, leading to the creation of the Fusion Program. The members of the Fusion Program team have many years of experience with the residents of Calhoun County and can often be a buffer between police and residents during a crisis situation. They offer residents referrals to programs that can improve their situations – whether that is through housing, mental health, employment, etc.
There were some initial barriers to starting this program, and it took some outside the box thinking to get people on board with this new program. The initial common response was: “That’s not how we do things.” Today when dispatch receives a call for services, officers respond and categorize the event, then contact the Fusion Team for assistance when appropriate. The police department is familiar with many of the community members who experience recurring mental health crises and will immediately contact the Fusion Team for assistance if such a call comes in. We are fortunate in Battle Creek to have a police department that does well in balancing community safety and helping the public through community policing.
Once staff saw how much faster things were accomplished when all the partners were in the same room sharing information, resistance to the change quickly subsided. Fusion team members were chosen very specifically for their knowledge base and professionalism, and the team includes some of the top representatives from their respective divisions. We still occasionally encounter disagreements in how the program should operate, but we are able to address them in a professional manner.
So far we have seen many impressive success stories. There have been numerous human trafficking cases stopped and prosecuted. There have been armed robberies solved with the help of the Fusion team. The team has worked on a number of shootings and successfully put pieces of the puzzle together from an initial photo or Facebook post, eventually leading to an arrest.
In my opinion, the real success stories are those that nobody hears about. For example, the Fusion team might respond to a mental health crisis, and instead of being arrested, the person receives treatment through crisis mental health counseling. Or a neighborhood dispute is called into the police, and instead of people getting shot, the Fusion team is able to talk with both sides and reach a peaceful resolution. These smaller successes are not really tracked and reported, but they are celebrated every day by this team and the people who they assist.
The future of this program is bright. In the first few years we have been continuously learning, gaining knowledge, and growing. I’m confident that this new way of policing and interacting with the community will start to reap benefits through decreased incarcerations, increased employment, breaking familial cycles of criminality, and more families staying together in Calhoun County. I’m grateful that our Juvenile Probation team has had the opportunity to be a part of the Battle Creek Fusion Program and look forward to watching it grow and benefit the community.
To learn more about the Fusion Program, please feel free to e-mail me at PAmsterburg@CalhounCountyMI.gov.
Phillip Amsterburg is the Juvenile Probation Services Manager for the 37th Circuit Court of Calhoun County. He has worked for Juvenile Probation for approximately nine years, and prior to that he worked for the Adult Men’s Drug Treatment Court. Phillip earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University. His background includes treatment of youth and adults who have substance abuse issues.