Florida Office of the Attorney General issued the following announcement on Feb. 18.
Attorney General Ashley Moody recognized a new program instituted by the Punta Gorda Police Department—the Veteran Crisis Assistance Team. The purpose of VCAT is to help ensure that PGPD is able to effectively handle situations involving military veterans experiencing mental health crises, or who are in need of assistance. Attorney General Moody presented the inaugural members of this team, Detective Jose Delgado, Officer Russell Fiorino, Officer Amber Gray, Officer Brandon Meddaugh, Captain Norman Nahra and Officer Tom Vetri, Back the Blue Awards for the creation of the program and their extraordinary service rendered to local veterans.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “I am honored to present Back the Blue Awards to these police officers, who served in the military themselves, for continuing to give back to their community and going above and beyond to serve veterans. VCAT provides much-needed aid and assistance to veterans experiencing mental health crises. As veterans themselves, these law enforcement officers understand personally the sacrifice service members make to protect Americans. I am so grateful to Officers Fiorino, Gray, Meddaugh and Vetri, Captain Nahra and Detective Delgado for their selfless efforts.”
Officer Meddaugh and Capt. Nahra are the leaders who spearheaded the formation of the program for PGPD. Members of VCAT respond to situations involving military veterans in need of assistance. The team is made up of sworn Punta Gorda law enforcement officers who served, or are currently serving, in a branch of the United States military. VCAT coordinates with community-veteran organizations to ensure that veterans in need are connected with the appropriate channels and services and assisted in receiving eligible military benefits.
Members of VCAT are specially trained for de-escalating situations involving military veterans, and adept at dealing with special needs that the affected military veterans may have. The team is dedicated to following up with veterans to ensure aid is offered and any additional needs are addressed.
In December 2020, the Punta Gorda VCAT, in conjunction with the Charlotte County Veterans Services and the Military Heritage Museum, hosted a Veterans Services Seminar to bring together representatives of organizations that provide resources and assistance to veterans within Charlotte and Lee counties. Per the goal of the event, VCAT provided a setting in where the different veterans’ aid organizations of the community networked and gained a better understanding of each other helping the organizations network together on serving the veterans of Charlotte and Lee counties.
Providing aid and assistance to those who have served in the U.S. military is a priority for the Attorney General’s Office. The Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division created the Military and Veterans Assistance Program to help educate military members and veterans on the types of scams that target their communities, what they can do to protect themselves and how to help protect others by reporting scams and deceptive business practices. In addition, members of the MVAP team work directly with service members and veterans, or their representatives, who have been targeted, to help resolve consumer protection related issues or find other outside assistance if necessary.
Original source can be found here.