Editorial: Social workers growing ever more important to modern policing

Police departments are under the microscope these days as much for how they interact with the community as for the crimes they solve.

That's why, as Daily Herald staff writer Madhu Krishnamurthy reported Monday, the role of the police social worker is becoming more necessary.

Unfortunately, only 33 suburban police departments out of more than 85 communities examined have a social worker on staff.

It's important that police chiefs and the elected officials who approve budgets understand that law enforcement is changing and social workers are an important part of that change.

"Every police department should be equipped with a police social worker. You need to work as a team ... (to be a) bridge between local law enforcement and the court system making sure that our victims don't get lost," said Kristin Eby of the Arlington Heights Police Department and president of the suburban-based Association of Police Social Workers.

Municipalities as small as Lake in the Hills and as large as Naperville or Schaumburg employ police social workers.

In Schaumburg, the department provides what it calls "a victim-sensitive approach" to domestic violence. The Domestic Violence Response Team is made up of 11 patrol officers, three social workers, one crime analyst, three detectives, one sergeant and one lieutenant. It's an example of identifying a need and responding to it.

In Elgin, Lark Syrris, the city's domestic violence case manager, said the police department's community policing approach has helped develop relationships between the police and the public. That makes everyone's job easier.

"It has helped police officers understand the community and be more humane," she said.

Even in areas where a full-time social worker has not been funded, such as in the Lake County sheriff's office, providing training to police in dealing with mental health issues has proved beneficial and is essential for all departments moving forward.

"Mental health is a big thing that the sheriff's office is really leading the charge on as far as our deputies being trained on crisis intervention," Sheriff's Detective Christopher Covelli said. "Our primary function when we respond to one of the incidences is stabilizing the environment and ensuring everybody's safety."

That's an excellent goal.

It's important for all departments to prioritize this kind of training and the follow-up in the community that a full-time social worker can provide.