6/13/2023 0 Comments Plattsburgh blotter![]() We Are the 28: Mental Health Awareness Month Sergeant Shimko (center) and female commissioned members of the Mental Health Unit Shimko walking in the annual September NAMI walk, she is clearly in the right place, right now. She adds, "When I retire, I can see myself doing something in cooking or landscaping." But when you see Sgt. Outside of the uniform, Sarah spends time with her family as a proud partner and mother. Sarah reflects, "Each case needs to be looked at holistically." Furthermore, mental health challenges complicate interactions with law enforcement. She says that it is not always clear or simple to come to an appropriate disposition in police investigations where criminal charges are appropriate and a mental health nexus exists. Regarding her role as the leader of the Mental Health Unit, Sarah explains that it was a natural combination of professional interests. Shimko became MPD's first Mental Health Unit Sergeant in June 2018. She graduated the MPD Academy into solo patrol, and worked as a patrol officer, and then patrol sergeant for 12 and a half years. "The opportunity seemed right," she says, referencing the tasks and professional opportunities of the job. In 2005, Sarah submitted her application for the MPD, and was offered a position. At the same time, she worked as an intermediate level School Counselor in Stoughton. She previously worked for Briarpatch as Group Facilitator for Teens Like Us, an educational support group for LGBTQ youth. Holistically proactive approaches have been a common theme in Sarah's professional career. An internship opportunity at Madison's very own Sennett Middle School is what finally got her out of New York's North Country. ![]() In addition to her bachelor's degree, Sarah graduated from Plattsburgh State University with a master's degree in Community and School Counseling. "I was a homebody," she says, noting all the schools she attended, Kindergarten through higher education, are within two miles of one another. Originally from Plattsburgh, New York, Sergeant Sarah Shimko smiles as she describes the close proximity of that community's elementary school, middle school, high school, and the state university – all of which she attended. ![]()
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