NPR for Central California
September 17, 2017
Police officers across the country and in the Central Valley have been under increasing scrutiny and pressure for how they deal with civilians in the field. At the same time, some departments are acknowledging that their role is morphing into one that is just as concerned with identifying and helping people who might be suffering from a mental illness as it is enforcing the law. Fresno’s Police Chief Jerry Dyer says he is making changes within his force in an attempt to separate committed criminals from people who need a softer form of help. Valley Public Radio’s Jeffrey Hess spoke with Dyer about what he has learned over the last couple years and what changes he hopes to make at FPD.