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Arrest of woman with dementia highlights need for crisis intervention training in Santa Rosa County
Editor's note: Please read an update to this story,
SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — Prior to the arrest of 79-year-old Elizabeth Collins, who suffers from dementia, deputies had responded to her home in Santa Rosa County almost a dozen times since July of 2024 for various incidents stemming from Collins's medical condition.
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On June 2, deputies said Collins attacked her husband with scissors and a hammer, believing he was an intruder.
Deputies said Collins's husband wished to press charges, leaving them with no choice but to arrest her on a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
To help better respond to calls involving individuals suffering with dementia or intellectual disabilities, the sheriff's office says roughly half of their deputies have received crisis intervention training.
'They learn about de escalation skills. They learn about the resources that are out there, we talk a lot about tactics, how to create distance,' Deputy Nicholas Gongwer with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office said.
The sheriff's office partners with places like the Lakeview Center, a behavioral health care provider, and provides crisis intervention training to law enforcement agencies around Northwest Florida.
'We definitely don't go in thinking that we're going to potentially have to arrest these people based on their behavior. We're looking for the best outcome and so we train to that effect,' Gongwer said.
Since Collins's arrest, the sheriff's office said they're working with her family to get her out of jail to get the help she needs.
'We've formed this team around the Collins family to help them every step of the way. So she's not just incarcerated. We are all helping to get her out as soon as possible,' SAFE Program Liaison & Community Relations for the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office, Angela Nandin, said.
The sheriff's office said the deputy responding to Collins's home did receive some type of crisis intervention training.
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Officials said their goal is to have every deputy crisis intervention trained.
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