Pasadena Police Officer Victor Cass Recipient of NAMI Award For work With Area Homeless and Mentally Ill
By Terry Miller
Published: Thursday, August 12th, 2010
Pasadena Police Officer Victor Cass was recently named the recipient of NAMI California’s 2010 Criminal Justice Professional Award. Officer Cass will receive the honor at NAMI California’s Annual Conference on Saturday, August 28, at the San Francisco Airport Marriott Hotel. Cass is only the second recipient of this award, instituted in 2009, and the first peace officer to be so recognized.
Cass, who is a decorated officer with 17 years with the department, is currently assigned to the Homeless Outreach-Psychiatric Evaluation (HOPE) Team. He is also the founder and chairman of the Pasadena Mental Health Advisory Committee. In this capacity, he has been instrumental in linking mental health service providers throughout Pasadena, both with the HOPE Team and each other, strengthening cross-agency information sharing, in-service training, assistance requests, trend updates, and emergency notifications.
NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, presents their Criminal Justice Professional Award annually to the “criminal justice professional who has advocated for and has been an integral part in implementing best practices that has resulted in the decriminalization of persons with serious mental illness.”
“This is yet another example of the type of dedication that Pasadena Police employees have to this community,” says Chief Phillip Sanchez. “This is a great department and part of what makes it so is the commitment that the employees have to bettering the quality of life for everyone with whom they come in contact. Our employees go beyond policing. They care. They address the quality of life issues that when left unchecked, lead to crime and victimization. By getting involved in those issues, they prevent crime and improve living conditions for the entire City.”
For more information about the Pasadena Police Department’s HOPE team and their efforts with addressing the chronically homeless and mentally ill, contact Janet Pope Givens or Lieutenant Wallace.
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