By: Mireya Garcia

m.garcia@krdo.com

COLORADO SPRINGS-The number of soldiers coming back from the Middle East with emotional problems is increasing and the Fountain Police Departments is taking steps to deal with the needs of a large military population.

29% of soldiers assigned at Fort Carson live in Fountain Valley and Fountain Police Chief Dan Corsentino says he understands the stress soldiers can be under.

That's why FPD and The Peer Navigator Program have an understanding. The Peer Navigation Program is composed of former soldiers, and they are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and the police department uses the group's knowledge to deal with situations such as spousal altercations involving soldiers.

"The law enforcement officers simply do not have the expertise that we need to understand all the serious issues that many of the soldiers are going through," says Corsentino.

An EpiCon report by the U.S. Army indicates that the more combat soldiers see, and the more of their fellow soldiers are killed, the more likely they are to get into trouble once they return to the United States. That report seems to hold true in Fountain. Chief Corsentino tells NEWSCHANNEL 13 there has been an increase in petty crimes and spousal altercations that are proportional to the number of soldiers returning to the city.

"There has been some verbal...an escalation from verbal communication directly to becoming very aggressive and sometimes becoming violent...that dynamic we're very aware of," says Corsentino.

The Pikes Peak Behavioral Health Group created The Peer Navigator Program in January 2009. It helps soldiers and their families' transition to civilian life, post-war.

Linda Corum is a clinical supervisor associated with the Pikes Peak Behavioral Health Group. Corum talks to soldiers and their loved and says counseling is beneficial, but it can be difficult to get soldiers to go get help.

"I think some of them are afraid...I think they are just worried about the stigma but sometimes when they do come in it's pretty helpful," says Corum.

If you are interested in getting more information you can contact the Peer Navigator Program at 1 -(866)-347-6480.