The Binghamton Police Department continues to build its resources when it comes to dealing with mental health calls.

Earlier this year, the department became one of five in the state to complete a pledge to improve its responses in mental health situations. As part of that pledge, 100 percent of sworn officers are trained in mental health first aid or a similar mental health awareness course.

The department has also worked with the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier (MHAST) since 2016, where the group's crisis services director, Michael Hatch, is a former officer himself.

"We all typically serve the same individuals, and it's just a matter of breaking down those siloes and approaching mental health from a community perspective — not just a police perspective, a mental health clinician perspective, and then somebody else's," Hatch said.

Mayor Rich David says he's also put $50,000 toward supporting crisis intervention in his upcoming budget.