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CPL. STEPHEN CRAFTON, LEFT, IS SHOWN WITH SHERIFF KEVIN RAMBOSK AT THE DECEMBER 8 NAMI AWARDS CEREMONY
WHERE HE WAS NAMED CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM OFFICER OF THE YEAR FOR 2015. PHOTO BY CPL. EFRAIN HERNANDEZ/CCSO
CCSO Deputy Named
NAMI Officer of The Year
A Collier County Sheriff ’s Office deputy has
been honored for his ability to assist students daily, promoting positive relationships between law enforcement and students.
with emotional and behavioral disabilities.
The Collier County chapter of the National
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) recently named
Cpl. Stephen Crafton as Crisis Intervention Team
(CIT) Officer of the Year for 2015.
Cpl. Crafton was selected from more than 600
CIT-trained officers in Collier County.
Crisis intervention team training is a program
that was specifically designed to improve the way
law enforcement and the community respond
to people experiencing a mental health crisis.
Originally established as collaboration between
NAMI Memphis, Tenn., and Memphis police, the
training has now inspired 2,800 communities in 45
states across the country to offer this program. The
Collier County NAMI chapter has had more than
900 CIT graduates.
Sheriff Kevin Rambosk has made CIT training a
priority for CCSO. Nearly every member of CCSO
has been trained, including all command staff.
Cpl. Crafton is very involved with the students at
Gulfview Middle School, where he has been assigned
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as a youth relations deputy for the past three years. He interacts with them
His special attention to the emotional/behavioral disabilities (EBD) classroom
has made a notable impact on the special needs students at the school.
Cpl. Crafton’s daily routine has helped foster a positive rapport among the
students, staff and himself, which has led to a nurturing environment in the EBD
Unit. On any given day, Cpl. Crafton can be found visiting the EBD students in
the classroom, eating lunch with them and showing interest in their daily activities.
Youth Relations Bureau Sgt. Thad Rhodes said there have been many times
that Cpl. Crafton has been called to the EBD classroom to assist with a student
who was having apparent difficulty getting through their day.
“Cpl. Crafton’s calm demeanor and understanding of how to get on the
students’ level to communicate has de-escalated a number of incidences which
could have resulted in a problematic situation for the school,” Sgt. Rhodes wrote
in his letter nominating Cpl. Crafton for the award.
One of the problems Cpl. Crafton faces on a daily basis is a student from
the EBD classroom running off campus. His immediate response to students
running off campus has effectively demonstrated his desire to ensure the safety of
all students at the school, regardless of the situation, said Sgt. Rhodes.
Cpl. Crafton’s rapport with EBD students has led to a decrease in the number
of incidents in the classroom, said Sgt. Rhodes.
“The students in the EBD Unit have developed a supportive relationship
with Cpl. Crafton, and when struggling to get through their day have asked their
teachers if they can visit with Cpl. Crafton to cool down,” said Sgt. Rhodes.
Life in Naples | February 2016