(Mount Rainier, MD) - The City of Mount Rainier Police Department (MRPD) is breaking new grounds in Prince George’s County by being the first local police department in the County to have a social services coordinator in its ranks. In a resolution adopted in December 2021, Mayor Celina Benitez and council members, backed by City Manager Kourosh Kamali and Chief of Police Linwood Alston, approved the employment of a full-time social services coordinator in the police department.   The purpose of this crucial position is to devote resources to social services and expand the city’s goals of addressing and identifying the social needs of the community. 

“Embedding enhanced social services into the police department will allow the agency to identify and respond to members of the community requiring social services and provide the help they need through referrals and partnerships” stressed Mayor Benitez.  

This initiative is just one part of MRPD’s innovative program of Reimagining Policing. The program aims to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community. 

“In order to get to the core of crime and criminal activity, you must look at the social issues that may be contributing factors and address them. Whether it is mental health, affordable housing, medical and other benefits community members are eligible for but not yet received are just some examples,” Chief Linwood Alston said.   “Low-level civil or misdemeanor crimes, committed by some of our less fortunate members of the community like the homeless or transient, will be deterred if we provide them the help they need,” he added.

The idea of providing social services through the police department is not a new concept however the law enforcement agency recognizes the need for social services in the city is not a part-time concern and requires full attention.  The push for broader social services and the impact of her work in 2021 brought Silvia Diaz on board as a full-time Social Services Coordinator for MRPD after initially starting as a part-time employee in February 2021.

While working for the police department, Diaz is a civilian with no arresting powers but with 30+ years of experience in social work. Her mandate involves assisting members of the community in identifying their needs and connecting them with service providers and appropriate resources. She also does the necessary follow-up until the required services are in place.

“One of my goals as a Social Services Coordinator is to develop relationships with members of the community and let them know we are here to assist them in a caring and compassionate manner,” Diaz said. 

In addition to the social services embedment in the MRPD, this year the department is looking forward to continuing its leadership in the social services program field by launching a Joint Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) in partnership with the Hyattsville and Brentwood Police Departments. This will be accomplished in part with a grant awarded by the Department of Justice. The grant will fund mental health licensed clinicians who will meet with CIT-certified officers at the scene of extreme behavioral health crises.  MPRD currently has two CIT-certified officers. The program is set to launch in June of 2022.