The Cumberland County district attorney says Pennsylvania is facing a mental health crisis and that law enforcement officers are on the front lines of incidents across the commonwealth.DA and police chiefs advocated for more funding, trainingThe DA and police chiefs from Upper Allen Township and the Camp Hill Borough say more funding and training could inch toward a solution.”We shouldn’t be just locking up people because they had a mental health crisis,” said Sean McCormack, Cumberland County district attorney.McCormack, an attorney for nearly 36 years, says cases involving mental health surged, adding that the rise in such cases and competency hearings increased 100-fold in the last five years. “We are prosecuting people, and we’re having them evaluated, and they’re not even competent to stand trial. Many times, they’re sitting in prison,” said McCormack.Officer-involved shootings McCormack pointed to several officer-involved shootings as examples he ties to mental health, including a 2025 incident in Lemoyne involving Romaine Elisabeth Marszalek, who survived and was charged with aggravated assault. “(Marszalek) was having a mental health crisis and, at the time, was seeking to essentially die by cop,” said McCormack.McCormack also cited a January 2024 officer-involved shooting that killed Nathaniel Law Liberator of Carlisle, as well as a March 2024 Hampden Township incident that left Gregor Fleming dead. “Oftentimes, the individuals suffering in that situation, they’re not thinking clearly enough to realize,” said Chief Stephen Margeson of the Camp Hill Police Department.Situations begin with self-harm or behavior harmful to familiesMargeson, a former Carlisle police chief, said the difficulty is that many situations do not begin with a crime and instead involve people spiraling into self-harm or behavior harmful to their families. He urged investment in alternatives to arrest and emphasized community impact. “Police officers, we’re the front line to a lot of incidents. It starts with us, but we need to make sure that those can continue in the right direction,” said Chief Andy Parsons of the Upper Allen Township Police Department. “When they need somebody the most, I see that as a real opportunity for police officers to make a difference.”Letter sent to Gov. Shapiro and lawmakersThe Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Association, which McCormack is a part of, sent a letter to the governor and lawmakers suggesting legislation, and one idea could lead to funding for law enforcement responses.”Wherever the funding comes from, that would be beneficial. Not just to the police department, but to the communities they serve,” said Margeson.Lack of resources Co-responders are mental health experts who go with first responders to a call involving mental health, and various police departments around the commonwealth have already hired them. However, departments say they do not have the resources to recruit, hire or retain such staff.”More departments are actually employing co-responders, mental health professionals, social workers who are in many cases better suited to dealing with people with mental health or emotional problems,” said Margeson. “It’s hard to hire people. And the salaries that we do pay, those are usually so low, it’s hard to attract people,” said McCormack.Funding is the primary barrier to expanding treatmentPolice chiefs and McCormack agreed that funding is the primary barrier to expanding mental health treatment in tense or quickly escalating situations.They said directing resources to co-responder programs and mental health professionals could change how police departments handle crises.If you or someone you know needs help, you can talk with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or sending a text message to 988, or you can chat online here.

UPPER ALLEN TOWNSHIP, Pa. —

The Cumberland County district attorney says Pennsylvania is facing a mental health crisis and that law enforcement officers are on the front lines of incidents across the commonwealth.

DA and police chiefs advocated for more funding, training

The DA and police chiefs from Upper Allen Township and the Camp Hill Borough say more funding and training could inch toward a solution.

“We shouldn’t be just locking up people because they had a mental health crisis,” said Sean McCormack, Cumberland County district attorney.

McCormack, an attorney for nearly 36 years, says cases involving mental health surged, adding that the rise in such cases and competency hearings increased 100-fold in the last five years.

“We are prosecuting people, and we’re having them evaluated, and they’re not even competent to stand trial. Many times, they’re sitting in prison,” said McCormack.

Officer-involved shootings

McCormack pointed to several officer-involved shootings as examples he ties to mental health, including a 2025 incident in Lemoyne involving Romaine Elisabeth Marszalek, who survived and was charged with aggravated assault.

“(Marszalek) was having a mental health crisis and, at the time, was seeking to essentially die by cop,” said McCormack.

McCormack also cited a January 2024 officer-involved shooting that killed Nathaniel Law Liberator of Carlisle, as well as a March 2024 Hampden Township incident that left Gregor Fleming dead.

“Oftentimes, the individuals suffering in that situation, they’re not thinking clearly enough to realize,” said Chief Stephen Margeson of the Camp Hill Police Department.

Situations begin with self-harm or behavior harmful to families

Margeson, a former Carlisle police chief, said the difficulty is that many situations do not begin with a crime and instead involve people spiraling into self-harm or behavior harmful to their families. He urged investment in alternatives to arrest and emphasized community impact.

“Police officers, we’re the front line to a lot of incidents. It starts with us, but we need to make sure that those can continue in the right direction,” said Chief Andy Parsons of the Upper Allen Township Police Department. “When they need somebody the most, I see that as a real opportunity for police officers to make a difference.”

Letter sent to Gov. Shapiro and lawmakers

The Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Association, which McCormack is a part of, sent a letter to the governor and lawmakers suggesting legislation, and one idea could lead to funding for law enforcement responses.

“Wherever the funding comes from, that would be beneficial. Not just to the police department, but to the communities they serve,” said Margeson.

Lack of resources

Co-responders are mental health experts who go with first responders to a call involving mental health, and various police departments around the commonwealth have already hired them. However, departments say they do not have the resources to recruit, hire or retain such staff.

“More departments are actually employing co-responders, mental health professionals, social workers who are in many cases better suited to dealing with people with mental health or emotional problems,” said Margeson.

“It’s hard to hire people. And the salaries that we do pay, those are usually so low, it’s hard to attract people,” said McCormack.

Funding is the primary barrier to expanding treatment

Police chiefs and McCormack agreed that funding is the primary barrier to expanding mental health treatment in tense or quickly escalating situations.

They said directing resources to co-responder programs and mental health professionals could change how police departments handle crises.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can talk with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or sending a text message to 988, or you can chat online here.