A program to better train and prepare law enforcement to deal with veterans who may be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder has been endorsed by a candidate for circuit court judge.
But Amy Maher, currently director of operations for the Catholic Charities Legal Services and a candidate for the Third Judicial Circuit, said her support of the program is not an indication of how she may rule if veterans with diagnosed PTSD come before her bench.
Maher, a Republican, told the Record that she was moved to annouce her suppport for the Madison County Veterans Assistance Commission program because it is a good idea for police officers to know how to handle "high risk situations."
"The director of the VAC reached out to me and explained what the progam was about," she said. "With everything going on, high risk situations with police officers, the situations escalating and people getting hurt...To try and prevent that happening is a very good idea."
The candidate said she could not pre-judge any scenario that may come before her if she is elected, and "this is not an indication of some decision I may make down the line."
She added that a key aim of the program is preventing individuals coming into the court system in the first place.
The former assistant state's attorney noted that The National Center for PTSD estimates that 11 to 20 percent of all veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom suffer from PTSD in any given month.
"At these epidemic levels we owe it to both the veterans and our hard working, over stressed law enforcement professionals to provide the best resources possible," Maher said. "I think this program, does just that.”
She added that it will prevent "the escalation of law enforcement encounters with veterans in crisis, helping keep veterans and first responders safe."
"If elected, I would look forward to working with the Veterans Assistance Commission on instituting this program on a county wide basis," she said.