The Kirkland Police Department has been awarded the National Alliance on Mental Illness 2018 Criminal Justice Award.

KPD was nominated by Kirkland resident and former state Rep. Laura Ruderman.

“Over the last three years, I have interacted with KPD on numerous occasions around a family member with mental illness,” she said in a KPD press release. “On call after call, they never displayed anything except the utmost compassion and professionalism. We are fed a steady diet of news from around the region and the country of folks with mental illness being killed by the police, which can make it terrifying to call them when you need help. But after the first few calls, I was never worried about that. It speaks to a positive culture that has been built in the department around treating people with respect. I hope that can be replicated elsewhere.”

According to the press release, the police department is appreciative of this honor and will “continue to address mental health concerns within the city with care and compassion.”