Patrol Car Research Articles

Including learning and forgetting processes in Agent-Based simulation models: Application to police intervention in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests

Agent-based modeling has become increasingly popular in recent decades; however, defining agents that accurately depict human behavior remains a significant challenge. This paper contributes to the precise definition of human-like agents by incorporating learning and forgetting processes from the medical and psychological literature into agent-based simulation models. Specifically, the mathematical model for forgetting is developed to be compatible with empirical findings. The empirical evidence also supports the decomposition of the learning process into training sessions and the application of skills in real situations, as followed in this model. The resulting model of learning agents is then applied to study police intervention in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. In numerous urban areas, there’s ongoing discussion regarding the provision of defibrillators in patrol cars and CPR training for police officers. The results demonstrate that including learning and forgetting processes in simulation models provide a more accurate understanding of the benefits of using local police to attend cardiac arrests.

Agent-based simulation of non-urgent egress from mass events in open public spaces

Public mass events require thorough planning on allocating resources such as paramedics, police officers, urban cleaning teams, and their equipment (ambulances, patrol cars, garbage collection trucks, and other urban cleaning vehicles). Testing different scenarios of event venue layout and crowd behavior at the end of an event might be useful to plan the event and said resource allocation.Our main objective is to model the non-urgent egress of participants at the end of an event, with possible applications for event management. That is when some resources are released (police and paramedics) and others are requested (urban cleaning teams).Using the agent-based GAMA platform, we implemented a spatially explicit simulation model upon an extension of the Social Force Model that considers group behavior, and a novel implementation of the “social retention” phenomenon, to simulate non-urgent egress from public space mass gathering events. Focus groups with architecture, geography, and urban ergonomics experts were conducted for face validation and improvement of the model.We present the outcome of a series of simulations of a scenario mimicking a real-life music event that took place in a square in downtown Lisbon, Portugal. Cell phone data captured during the event was used to calibrate the model. We analyzed model performance when the number of pedestrian agents increases, to assess the feasibility of using our approach in participatory discussions with stakeholders responsible for resources management.On average, the egress evolution obtained in the simulations fit well with the evolution of cell phone counts captured during the event. The behavior of groups of agents evidenced real-life phenomena, such as the persistence of group cohesion and repulsion interactions (both with architectural obstacles and other agents).Model performance degradation with the increasing number of agents may hamper the usage of this model/platform for participatory meetings, due to the incurred delay in obtaining results. To mitigate this problem, we plan to explore parallelization strategies for agent-based simulation, such as using GPUs.

Planning traffic surveillance in Spain: How to optimize the management of police resources to reduce road fatalities

Although traffic police enforcement is widely recognized as a key action in the road safety field, it can be a costly policy to implement. In addition, governments often impose budget constraints that can limit the resources available for activities such as law enforcement and surveillance. To evaluate the impact of human traffic control resources planning on traffic fatalities on Spanish NUTS-3 regions interurban roads, this paper uses an econometric model to investigate the performance of police enforcement intensity by focusing on two crucial traffic law infractions (i.e., speeding and drunk driving). After controlling for a range of economic, demographic, climate, and risk exposure variables, results highlight the relevance of visible, human, and in-person traffic law enforcement through regular vehicle patrols for reducing traffic crashes, with a non-significant effect of automatic enforcement. Our findings have important implications for traffic police resource management regarding the effective maintenance of patrol cars and plans to digitalize and automatize police administrative tasks and procedures.

The Role of Private Security Organizations in crime prevention and homeland security management in Ghana

The study was to explore the play by Private Security Organizations in crime prevention and homeland security management in Ghana. The study used a descriptive design of the qualitative of which respondents from the various management of Private Security Organizations in Accra were targeted. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select 7 participants to form part of the study. Interview guide was used at the data collection instrument. Data from interviews were analysed thematically based on the research objectives. The study found that key security services provided by the PSOs included the four functions mandated by the laws of Ghana. Also, their operations basically covers; watching and guarding services, patrolling services, and escort services. PSOs follow some form laid down procedures and principles in recruiting and selecting employees. PSOs have some collaboration with the Ghana Police Service with regards to its mandate enshrined by the constitution of Ghana to prevent crime and protect lives and properties. However, the key challenges of the PSOs are financial constraints, inadequate logistics and resources, high cost of operations, poor perception of the general public on their roles in fighting against crime as well as protecting lives and properties. Therefore, the study recommended that various PSOs should come together to form some associations that can fight for their right and welfare of their members. Also, the government of Ghana through the Ministry of Interior and the Ghana Police Service should sponsor some of their activities such as training and workshops. Moreover, the government can support them in terms of vehicles or patrol cars and fueling allowances

Scaling Up, Scaling Down

This article explores the shifting perceptual scales of racial epistemology and anti-blackness in predictive policing technology. Following Paul Gilroy, I argue that the historical production of racism and anti-blackness has always been deeply entwined with questions of scale and perception. Where racialisation was once bound to the anatomical scale of the body, Thao Than and Scott Wark’s conceptualisation of “racial formations as data formations” inform insights into the ways in which “race”, or its 21st century successor, is increasingly being produced as a cultivation of post-visual, data-driven abstractions. I build upon analysis of this phenomena in the context of predictive policing, where analytically derived “patrol zones” produce virtual barriers that divide civilian from suspect. Beyond a “garbage in, garbage out” critique, I explore the ways in which predictive policing instils racialisation as an epiphenomenon of data-generated proxies. By way of conclusion, I analyse American Artist’s 21-minute video installation 2015 (2019), which depicts the point of view of a police patrol car equipped with a predictive policing device, to parse the scales upon which algorithmic regimes of racial domination are produced and resisted.

A Study on the Effects of Local Police's Perception of Crime Prevention Activities on Police Trust

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how the crime prevention activities of the autonomous police, centering on Suwon City, have an impact on police trust, and to suggest ways to secure the reliability of the autonomous police activities in the future.
 Method: In this study, 320 copies of the meaningful results obtained through the survey conducted on the citizens of Suwon were analyzed. For the analysis, the crime prevention activities of the autonomous police were set as an independent variable and trust in the police was set as a dependent variable.
 Results: As a result of analysis on the impact of crime prevention activities(patrol, crime prevention environment creation, order maintenance) of autonomous police on police trust, it was found that patrol and crime prevention environment creation had a significant effect, and order maintenance No significant effect was found.
 Conclusion: In order to actively prevent crime, it is necessary to support visible police activities, such as strengthening intensive patrols using foot patrols, motorcycles, and patrol cars, as well as supporting technical equipment for effective arrest. CCTV has a very useful value in that it can be used as an efficient means of arresting criminals by filling the public security vacuum caused by insufficient police manpower at the present time and converting data into a database. In addition, more practical equipment support should be provided by securing the police's own budget to expand the development and expansion of a customized work system tailored to the local situation and to strengthen cooperative public order such as autonomous security guards and child guards.

Night icing prediction using vehicle-mounted pavement temperature sensor and atmospheric data

Faced with high accident rates on ice-covered roads at night, notifying road managers of the most dangerous locations would allow them the opportunity to treat the icy roads by applying de-icing chemicals. In addition, drivers can be better prepared for the impending danger. In this regard, this study developed a web-based night icing potential information system and a deep learning-based night icing forecasting model. Input data included pavement temperature, collected by patrol cars operating between 23:00 and 07:00 on a daily basis in the winter season, and atmospheric data provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration. For evaluating the forecasting model, baseline data were generated based on the physical principle that ice is formed when pavement temperature is negative and lower than the dew point temperature. The forecasting model was assessed using pavement temperature and atmospheric data obtained on a 40 km stretch of a rural highway, passing through a mountainous region in South Korea. As a result, the model showed favorable performances, with 94% and 90% accuracies for bridge and roadway segments, respectively. Considering the increasing emphasis on preventive maintenance, the developed forecasting model can be applied to a preventive anti-icing measure, in turn, increasing traffic safety on winter roads.

The Hot Spot Coverage Patrol Problem: Formulations and Solution Approaches

When designing a patrol route, it is often necessary to pay more attention to locations with high crime rates. In this paper, we study a patrol routing problem for a fleet of patrol cars patrolling a region with a high-crime neighborhood (HCN) consisting of multiple hot spots. Considering the disorder and chaos in the HCN, at least one patrol car is required in the HCN at any given time during the patrol. We call this routing problem the hot spot coverage patrol problem (HSCPP). In the HSCPP, the importance of a patrol location is quantified by a prize, and the prize is collected if a patrol car visits the location. Our objective is to maximize the sum of prizes collected by the patrol cars, obeying all operational requirements. We propose mathematical formulations and develop several solution approaches for the HSCPP. The global approach consists of finding the routing solution for all patrol cars with a single integer programming (IP) formulation. The partition approach involves first partitioning the region geographically and solving the routing problem in each subregion with two IP formulations. Next, we strengthen the partition approach by developing a column generation (CG) approach in which the initial columns of the CG approach are the solutions generated from the partition approach. We conduct a detailed computational case study using instances based on real crime data from Montgomery County, Maryland. To further understand the computational tractability of our solution approaches, we also perform a sensitivity analysis using synthetic instances under various scenarios. History: Accepted by Erwin Pesch, Area Editor for Heuristic Search & Approximation Algorithms. Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplemental Information ( https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2022.0192 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2022.0192 ). The complete IJOC Software and Data Repository is available at https://informsjoc.github.io/ .

Moving civilians to the front of patrol cars: Built space, embodiment, and social control during police encounters

This article uses recordings of on-the-street police encounters to analyze how officers move civilians to the front of patrol cars and request them to sit on the bumper or put their hands on the hood. These spatial maneuvers entail a suspension of civilians' movement rights, establishing their identity as legally detained subjects. Thus, though seemingly mundane, by moving civilians to the front of the car, officers exercise social control in its most elementary form: practical tasks comprising methodic police work. Dashcam recordings in English were obtained from the police department of an American West Coast city and analyzed using conversation analysis. Findings demonstrate that having civilians sit on the bumper or put their hands on the hood imposes asymmetric participation frameworks whereby officers maximize their control over their subjects' bodies while restricting the latter's access to them. Such asymmetry is adapted to (a) tasks officers undertake to workout out an outcome for the encounter and (b) situational contingencies associated with possible threat. Importantly, officers accomplish such spatial formations – and, thereby, civilians' status as detained subjects – moment-by-moment, continuously monitoring their subjects' bodies for compliance and incrementing their actions as trouble emerges.

Patrolling Car for Toxic Gas Detection

The use of a patrol car equipped with a toxic gas detection system is crucial today because, in the occurrence that a gas leak occurs in an area that is difficult for people to access or enter, such as a mine or an industrial facility, we can lessen the risk to those who work there by using the system. The car’s small size also makes it mobile, allowing us to determine where the leak is happening and to take other preventative measures. We use ESP32 to control all of the sensor modules, and we can manage the car using a mobile device over Wi-Fi. Because Telegram is open source, we can view the data using it. Using this method may be entertaining, but in the event of an emergency, it may consume a lot of resources. Using the Telegram bot, we can view and preserve the data in our monitoring system. In our research, ultrasonic sensors are primarily used to detect items and alter routes in order to arrive at their intended locations.

The Ungrateful Dead

The Ungrateful Dead Clayton Bradshaw (bio) The same summer the San Antonio Spurs defeat the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Robin Williams hangs himself in his final act of ironic comedy, the Philae lander tumbles towards its fateful rendezvous with the Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet, and an over-heated Eric Garner dies breathless in a chokehold, Grayce stands before the judge in Homerville, Georgia, and declares: Greg Clarkson is dead. I killed him. _______ Three months earlier, Grayce stops a millimeter past the stop sign when a cop pulls them over. The red-and-blue lights flash purple against the hood of their car, and they know better than to roll forward that last inch, but they’re in a hurry. They aren’t exactly late for their Saturday shift at Sonic, but every cell in their brain has been shifting in twelve different directions as though they are. In fact, they’ve been in such a rush, they’ve forgotten their driver’s license. The cop walks up to the side of Grayce’s window and knocks on the salt-coated glass. Grayce rolls down the window and notices their reflection in the cop’s boots and immediately adjusts their glasses. When they tell the officer their license is at home, the cop asks, Well, do you know the number? I’ll just run it through the computer. Grayce recites from memory what they believe the number to be, which turns out to be the number for a license belonging to someone named Greg Clarkson. When the cop returns, his lips are twisted towards the right side of his face. _______ At the jail, Grayce stands against a wall, their back rigid against the white-painted cinderblocks. An older white woman in a gray [End Page 32] uniform pressed tightly against her body armor grabs Grayce by the wrist and drags them to a cold steel table under a dark-lensed camera. Grayce shrieks. Hey, that fucking hurts, they say. The woman points to a sign on the wall above the table. No foul language, the sign says. She firmly grasps Grayce’s index finger and rolls it back and forth onto a cold inkpad. Then she rolls the finger on a thin, blue piece of cardstock with faint black grids printed on one side. She repeats this process with each finger on Grayce’s left hand. Then again with each finger on Grayce’s right hand. The woman seems invested in the efficiency of the procedure and does not speak to Grayce. As their fingers press against the cardstock, Grayce begins to feel enclosed by the room and the woman’s grip on their fingers. Their breathing grows shallow and depthless, and the synapses in their brain spark bright and effulgent until Grayce collapses onto the floor. The woman takes Grayce’s limp hand and presses their right pinkie onto the ink and then the cardstock. _______ In a hospital, Grayce wakes up, their hands cuffed to the bed. They recognize the smoky image of Greg in the corner of the room, like a gaseous space cloud, his hands opened wide and reaching towards Grayce’s neck. Grayce breathes harder and harder, and Greg fades in and out of translucence as he inches his way towards Grayce in a fantastically spectral fashion. Grayce grips the sides of the hospital bed. A nurse administers a sedative and Grayce’s spine relaxes, their head sinking into the pillow. The world slows into shrinking ambiguity. _______ Grayce’s body feels numb, pliant and compliant, as they sit in the back of the police car on the way back to the jail. They slump into the seat, their head placed against the plate glass of the side window. The officer stares straight down the road ahead, never acknowledging Grayce’s presence, as though he’s forgotten Grayce exists within the [End Page 33] space of his patrol car. Grayce feels strangely comfortable; they are not used to this degree of obscurity. _______ Walking through the heavy steel doors of the jail, an officer they’ve never seen before steers Grayce with a firm hand on their shoulder. In...

The role of digital technologies for the canine units involved in the law enforcement in European countries

The aim of the article was to consider the role of digital technologies in law enforcement by canine units in European countries. Comparison and observation methods were the main methodological tools. The research showed that European K9 units assist in rescue operations, detection of prohibited substances, firearms and ammunition. Their activity is necessary during the tracking and arrest of criminal suspects. European canine units are responsible for protecting service dogs from undue risk. It was found that tactile interfaces, UAV-based surveillance sensors, video surveillance systems and GPS are becoming components of European requirements for canine service activities. Projects implemented as part of the European research and innovation program Horizon 2020 aim to develop technologies for rapid response services. It is concluded that, the INGenIOuS Project resulted in the development of an effective K9 vest for a search dog, which is based on a complex of modern digital technologies. In addition, the installation of devices in patrol cars can help to save a working dog.

산업재해 예방을 위한 패트롤카 운영현황 및 개선방안

With the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act, interest in industrial sites in preventing industrial accident deaths is increasing. Accordingly, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency are conducting on-site inspections of patrols using industrial safety patrol cars with the aim of reducing death accidents. Currently, Patrolcar is conducting regular patrols in dangerous areas, emergency dispatches to the accident site, and on-site inspections, and is actively utilizing Patrolcar's visibility to improve interest and obligation for industrial safety. This study presents policy countermeasures focusing on improvement measures that can increase the visible effect of patrols by analyzing the operation status of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Corporation related to industrial safety patrol cars.

COMMUNITY-BASED AND RESTORATIVE-JUSTICE INTERVENTIONS TO REDUCE OVER-POLICING

COMMUNITY-BASED AND RESTORATIVE-JUSTICE INTERVENTIONS TO REDUCE OVER-POLICING

Would CNS depressants cause paradoxical aggressive driving behaviors?

Aggressive driving consists of risky driving behaviors and traffic infractions performed with ill intent or disregard for other road users’ safety and associated with negative emotions like anger and frustration. Such behaviors may include tailgating, speeding, weaving through traffic, running red lights, and others. While evaluating the risk of drugs that decrease inhibitions or have central nervous system (CNS) stimulant effects like alcohol and cocaine for aggressive driving behaviors makes sense, doing the same with benzodiazepines and other CNS depressants may appear illogical since the drugs would have anti-aggressive effects, inducing sedation and stabilizing mood. However, unexpected aggressive/agitated episodes, albeit rarely, have been reported after the use of certain CNS depressants. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether CNS depressants may lead to paradoxical aggressive driving behaviors by reviewing case reports of suspected impaired drivers tested positive for CNS depressants other than ethanol. This research examined driving while intoxicated (DWI) or under the influence of drugs (DUID) cases submitted in 2019 and tested positive in blood for CNS depressants other than ethanol only (i.e., benzodiazepines, barbiturates, muscle relaxants, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants). The blood samples were submitted by the Houston Police Department and were subsequently analyzed for alcohol and drugs by Houston Forensic Science Center and a reference laboratory. Toxicological findings, demographic information as well as driving behaviors and the standardized field sobriety test (SFST) observations of impairment described in the police reports were evaluated. Among 1214 DWI/DUID cases in which offense occurred in 2019 and blood samples were tested positive for one or more drugs, just 50 drivers were tested positive for CNS depressants only. Twenty-five drugs/metabolites were identified with benzodiazepines/metabolites being the most prevalent, in 72% of the 50 cases. The majority exhibited typical behaviors expected from CNS depressant use: 86% of the drivers had non-violent attitudes and 91% (39/43) showed horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN). All ( n = 35) showed one or more clues in Walk and Turn (WAT) and except 2, in One-leg Stand (OLS). Traffic incidents included weaving (22%), hitting an object or another vehicle (38%), stopping in a moving lane (18%). However, a few drivers exhibited agitation. Below are two case examples: – case 1: 58-year-old female driver failed to signal a lane change, accelerating away from the patrol car and yelling. When officers encountered the driver, she exhibited uncooperative and erratic behaviors. Officer could only administer HGN, and she showed 2/6 clues. Blood sample was positive for alprazolam at 13 ng/mL and meprobamate at 2.5 μg/mL; – case 2: 24-year-old female driver stopped in a moving lane of traffic. Upon officers approaching the vehicle, she began to speak to officers in an agitated voice. Officers observed the driver could not keep balance. SFST results included 4/6 HGN, 3/4 OLS, and 6/8 WAT clues. Blood sample was positive for alprazolam at 120 ng/mL and for zolpidem at 100 ng/mL; Considering a multitude of social, environmental, and biological factors that can influence one's driving performance, the findings should be taken with caution and alternative interpretations other than drug effects should be considered. The research confirmed that aggressive behaviors among CNS depressant positive drivers are rare and idiosyncratic. These case examples nonetheless demonstrated how different drugged driving behaviors can be and more research is needed to further clarify the association.

How Concentrated Are Police on Crime? a Spatiotemporal Analysis of the Concentration of Police Presence and Crime

What were the spatiotemporal patterns of police patrol in a major European city across the pre-COVID year of 2019, how did these patterns change over time, and to what extent did the concentrations of patrol correspond to concentrations of crimes? We analyzed more than 77 million GPS signals from 130 police patrol cars showing where and when police patrols were present in police districts and street segments. We also plotted location, time and days of the week of the locations, and times of more than 50,000 recorded crimes. We calculated concentration ratios within both crimes and patrols relative to their distributions in time and space. We then compared the concentration ratios for crime to the concentration ratios for patrols. We concluded the analysis by comparing the extent to which concentrations of crime and patrol locations and times were overlapping. We found that police patrols, much like crime, were concentrated on a small proportion of street segments. Yet spatiotemporal police presence is unrelated to local levels of crime and crime concentration. Relative to temporal crime concentrations, police patrols were substantially under-concentrated from 1500 to 0100 h, all day on Fridays, and the entire months of June, July, August, and December. There was very little overlap in patrol concentrations with crime concentrations. After three decades of research showing crime prevention benefits of patrol concentrations on micro-level crime concentrations, police in one European city concentrate patrol presence at locations, times, days, and months where crime is not concentrated. Whether this conclusion can be reached in other cities will depend on replications of this study, both in Europe and other continents.

“It seems to be some kind of an accident”: Perception and team decision-making in time critical situations

This study examines the decision-making processes of military observer trainee teams as they encounter a simulated, ‘life-threatening’ incident during a car-patrolling exercise. The study takes place in the context of a course which trains military officers to serve in UN peacekeeping operations as unarmed military observers. The data consist of audio-video recordings of eight trainee teams inside and around their patrol cars during a patrolling exercise, as well as of ethnographic field notes and observations. We use conversation analysis to examine what happens between the first noticing of the incident and the decision regarding the next action, and how the trainees work together to form a diagnosis of the situation and choose the appropriate action. The results show how the trainees make a first general interpretation on the situation immediately after its initial noticing and make visible their assessment of the incident site as either safe or unsafe to approach. These interpretations are crucial, as an incorrect interpretation often leads to action that puts the team in danger. The results also show how earlier shared events can affect the decision-making process, as they are indicated as points of comparison on which a team may base their interpretation of the current situation.

Editor's Column

Editor's Column

Design of solar light tracking system Research on energy autonomy system design of outdoor patrol car based on solar energy

The Inner Mongolia has abundant solar energy and electricity resources. Because of the long distance between cities, transmission lines are too long, making it difficult to check lines. In order to solve the problems existing in the inspection work, this paper studies a kind of outdoor inspection vehicle using solar energy, the energy system of the inspection vehicle can independently complete the charge and discharge, so as to realize the inspection task. This paper focuses on the energy autonomy of the on-site inspection vehicle for solar energy. According to the design requirements of the inspection vehicle, appropriate parts are selected to build an energy autonomy inspection system for the inspection vehicle. Then the solar tracking algorithm and maximum power tracking control algorithm are used to improve the conversion rate of solar panels and achieve fast charging. Finally, the hardware and software of the solar controller are designed, and the corresponding functions are debugged.

Pharmacists poised to address unmet mental health needs

Among the many collateral effects of COVID-19, the pandemic has exacerbated the mental health crisis in the United States. For some, the global shutdown interrupted ongoing mental health care. For others, the stress and isolation triggered new mental health issues. It was against this backdrop earlier this year that CVS started adding licensed clinical social workers trained in mental health care to MinuteClinics at select HealthHUB locations in Houston, Philadelphia, and Tampa. The move underscores pharmacists’ and pharmacies’ unique placement in the health care landscape and positions them to help close a longstanding gap in access to mental health care. Increasingly, retail pharmacies—from the corporate giants to the community independents—are harnessing their position and taking steps to address unmet mental health care needs for their patients. CVS Health's program offers in-person or virtual therapy sessions by appointment or to walk-ins. The services include mental health assessments, referrals, counseling, and personalized care plans. Many insurance plans cover these services. For those without coverage, out-of-pocket costs range from $129 for an initial assessment to $69 for a half-hour session with many options in between. “With accessible, low-cost services available in community-based MinuteClinics at select HealthHUB locations, CVS Health is offering new access points for populations who are struggling with the unprecedented stressors of recent months, helping to avoid costly ER visits, and providing a pathway to symptom relief,” said Sharon Vitti, president of MinuteClinic and senior vice president at CVS Health. Walgreens connects patients with mental health care through its app, where they can access in-person or online services through a variety of providers. “Every day our pharmacists talk with patients with a wide range of conditions, including mental health conditions,” said Jude Pierre-Louis, senior director of Healthcare Services Development and Delivery at Walgreens. “With a sharply rising need for mental health resources since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Walgreens expanded Walgreens Find Care® to help address these needs.” Both corporations stress the role that pharmacists can play in the expanding mental health offerings at the two retailers. “Pharmacists advise patients on recommendations and next steps to manage their conditions or concerns in person or over the phone, including recommending or referring to mental health services. Having access to mental health services in store or virtually provides pharmacists with another timely care option for patients,” Vitti said. Independent pharmacies are leveraging their position with patients, too. That position was never clearer to Randy McDonough, PharmD, than when Iowa City police officers brought one of his patients to him one night in a patrol car. Police had picked up the man, who had stopped taking his medications for schizophrenia, after he had been seen wandering around town. When they approached him, he repeated, “I need to talk to Randy. I need to go to Towncrest Pharmacy.” McDonough, co-owner of Towncrest Pharmacy, managed to calm his patient down and then recommended that the officers take him to a hospital. He said the National Community Pharmacists Association's Mental Health First Aid Training equipped him for this encounter. “Sometimes we can be hesitant, or we can have biases with individuals with mental illness, and I think the training that I received helped me get rid of those biases,” McDonough said. He said the trusting, respectful relationship he has with the patient may be what brought him there that night. While small independents may lack the muscle to embed therapists in their stores or link patients to telehealth for mental health care through an app, they have the clinical expertise to recognize and address unmet mental health needs. Mental Health First Aid Training is an eight-hour, in-person program that prepares pharmacists to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The program encourages pharmacists to leverage their role in the community to reach out to the patient's provider or connect them with appropriate care. “Pharmacists, technicians, and staff are on the frontlines in their communities,” said Hannah Fish, PharmD, associate director of strategic initiatives at the National Community Pharmacists Association. “They may see changes that are happening in their patients more frequently than a physician would.”