City of Snohomish police detective Kendra Conley is one of those individuals who consistently perform their duties beyond the call. I credit this to her being from Bothell.

At a state conference earlier this month, Conley and Snohomish County deputy sheriff Jeff Ross were cited for their work in — and insistence that — law-enforcement people are better prepared to act when responding to incidents of crisis.

“It is seldom that we are called to an incident so someone can just compliment us on our work,” Ross told conference-goers interested in how police and emergency responders can best work with families when called to deal with incidents involving a mentally ill person.

“They all are definitely in crisis,” Conley and Ross echoed. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t need us.”

With her chief of police John Turner in attendance, and Ross assisting, Kendra was presenting a workshop for attendees at the annual conference for members and supporters of Washington state’s National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Jim Bloss, president of the Snohomish County NAMI affiliate, later told the gathering of the important work Turner, Conley and deputy Ross perform in demonstrating the importance of taking crisis-intervention training.

Bloss used the words “dedicated” and “persistent” repeatedly in describing Conley and Ross’ approach in convincing decision makers to find the budget and for officers to devote time for the training.

“They have devoted countless hours to this,” Bloss added, “voluntarily, mostly on their own personal time.”

Their 2010 Joint Distinguished Criminal Justice Award read: “For outstanding joint efforts in support of NAMI Washington and the North Sound Region in efforts to decriminalize mental illness.”

Added Bloss, “These two young officers have the fire, determination and commitment to help NAMI decriminalize mental illness.”

Indeed, they are special in an era when public safety budgets are in decline, yet we continue to ask much from those who put their lives on the line in times of crisis — entering the scene not knowing the cause of mental trauma, risking potential physical harm — without knowing how to quickly deal with or enflaming an already out-of-control incident.

Having an understanding of how to deal with the mentally ill can go along way to ensure safety not only for victims and perpetrators … but also for the officers responding to an incident.

Bloss reported that Conley and Ross have generated an application to the Council of State Governments Justice Center, seeking to establish one of only a few places to become a specialized policing response Law Enforcement Mental Health Learning Site, thus becoming nationally recognized as a valuable resource for other jurisdictions interested in developing and refining response programs in their community.

Ross and Conley have developed and presented the first crisis-intervention training program for Snohomish County, a full 40-hour program that has accepted first responders from surrounding regions in the state. They have developed and are in the process of presenting two-hour short courses in crisis intervention that they are planning to give to every first responder in Snohomish County and to accomplish this within the year.

Conley is a Bothell High grad of 1992. See why we claim her?

And, in a follow up to an earlier column this summer about the interesting graduates of the Bothell High class of ’63, we pass along news that ‘63’s Farrell Adrian, now living in Shoreline, was elected president of the NAMI state organization at the annual conference.

Important grant

Solar panels will one day make a powerful impression on students coming to the future Brightwater environmental education/community center to learn about sustainability, thanks to a generous energy grant. Friends of the Hidden River, a community group comprised of local teachers, partnered with King County on the design of the Center at Brightwater, which is now in construction just north of Woodinville.

Jointly they secured a $40,000 grant from Snohomish County Public Utility District for the installation of a rooftop solar array of 25 panels on the facility. The Center at Brightwater is scheduled to open in 2011.

The panels are being designed specifically for the building’s power supply needs, and are capable of returning surplus electricity to the grid. The grant will also fund the costs to install an educational exhibit linked to the new energy system, as well as materials for on-going education related to solar energy systems.

John Schmied, one of the lead science teachers who organized the “Friends,” reminds us that “the center’s goal is to highlight ways citizens can live more sustainably and keep our community healthy.”

Construction is well along, but additional funding is needed to equip the center. The “Friends” and King County are working with teachers and environmental groups in search of additional partnerships to accomplish education programs, curricula and projects. The center could eventually serve up to 1,000 students a day.

John B. Hughes was owner-publisher of the Northshore Citizen from 1961 to 1988 and is active in local nonprofit organizations.