In an effort to better inform and educate police officers who sometimes have to interact with people with mental illness, departments around the country are instituting specialized training. Does this training actually help to de-escalate potentially violent situations? According to new research, the answer is “Yes.”
Police officers who undergo this training are less likely to use force when dealing with a situation that involves a person with mental illness:
The study, published in a recent edition of the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin, surveyed 135 police officers from Atlanta about how they would handle three different scenarios involving mentally ill people. Forty-eight officers had received crisis-intervention team training, while 87 had not received the training.
Researchers discovered officers who underwent the training –known as the CIT Academy — chose to use less force in the third scenario presented to them.
There are numerous examples throughout the country of situations where police who haven’t undergone this training have used excessive force to deal with someone who apparently has mental illness.
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This is very good news. I do hope more police departments will get trainign on mental illness, so that people whon’t have to die from excessive force anymore.
I have worked as a cargiver with the mentally ill for years. Bipolar Mania, Mania, Schizophrenia, Dementia, and developmentally disabled name most of those sorts of cases I have cared for. When I watch COPS, and see how the officers handle a situation with a person who is, to me anyway, obviously mentally ill and out of touch with reality in their present psycosis. I’m frustrated to see that the officers lack the tools to handle said situation appropriately. I see abuse and ignorance. I would hope that every department in the country would educate their officers about mental illness, and more appropriate and safe ways to communicate and redirect their behavior to be delt with in a legal manner, instead of administering excessive force to detain them.
Care givers are strictly educated on how to deal with problem situations with mentally ill clients, as such methods as restraints or any kind of abuse is illegal. I feel like officers of the police force should be subject to similar restrictions, unless their own lives are in danger. I’m aware of the horrid danger our officers face each day and I do not mean to suggest that an officer allow a mentally ill person to cause them any sort of harm in a problem situation, as care givers often must. However, there is a fine line to be drawn when force is useful and necessary and when it is not and harmful.
I think it’s great that police have trainings about how to handle the mentally ill. As a former schizophrenic, I was sent to the back of the police car to be taken to the hospital, and even though i was cuffed up, they treated me with respect.
I am one of those who is Bipolar and have experienced unnecessary use of force…tased, beaten & left unconscious for 4 days while they lied on paperwork to cover up their injustices. recently, a friend was concerned that I may wsnt to kill myself & had a magistrate send police to escort me to the hospital for further eval by CSB. The officer was violent, disrespectful, belittling, and practically dragged me like a criminal across behavioral health’s publicly viewable parking lot, lifting me off of my feet by raising my right arm up while handcuffed behind my back, causing excruciating pain which llasted for about a week and is still difficult to sleep on. Unfortunately for me, one of my mental disorders is PTSD due to previous beatings and rapes by lawmen. Trust is definitely NOT a consideration anymore for me personally, but it does not have to be that way for others. We need to trust, so we are more confident in seeking help.
Since hearing about CIT, I’ve decided to do some footwork in assisting the community in training for our officers. It can prevent death, de escalate potential violence & increase the odds of successful care/treatment & the likelihood of Tx being sought by sufferers. I cant tell you how important it is. Violent officers are killing us & hurting our families. It must change.
I am a master level counselor that has worked with mental illness. I am empathetic and compassionate. I had a major accident and left with physical problems, but much worse, a brain injury and subsequent depression and anxiety. Even though I sought help for depression, I fell through the cracks. My decision making skills were not the same, my emotions out of wack, and my declining self esteem left me vulnerable. Family and friends pointed out that I did not assert myself anymore and I knew that was true. When I felt taken advantage of and hopeless, I consumed alcohol. Not good. I dated a man for a few months that attempted to control my life. Eventually, i was attempting to take back control of my life and assert myself. One night he was jelous of my college daughter visiting and after 2 hours debating, I asked him him to go home and not come back for a couple weeks as I needed the space to clear my head. After stalling, he wanted to go back into my bedroom and I told him NO, absolutely not. He called the police, which I thought was a joke as his stuff was by the back door. The officer who was let in by the boyfriend, confirmed that I am homeowner and boyfriend lives elsewhere. Then he told me that I had to let him in the bedroom or he would arrest me. I attempted to explain that I didnt want boyfriend to steal from me again (particularly my anti depressants). The officer thought I was someone else and told me I was arguementative when I told him I was not. He was agitated and maybe I could not answer his questions quick enough. There was no violence, loud talking, biligerence, nothing. Offiecer assaulted me in front of my daughter, stuck a gun in my face. I was 50 yrs old with no arrest, not even a speeding ticket. Im 115 lb female with 2 herniated discs and weakness. Being drug from my own home in the middle of the night and injured and spoke to horribly and threatened opened childhood wounds and a range of PTSD symptoms.My daughter was left in the home with the boyfriend who was armed and cleaned out my jewelry box. I overmedicated from pain meds days following and overdosed. My arm in a sling, a concussion, and abnormal vaginal bleeding. A few months later I attempted suicide. It has been a couple of years and Im doing much better but have long way to go. Of course the charge of “obstruction” was not obstruction. Ignorant cops also don’t like those who dont follow orders, even if the orders are unlawful. This one really did not like an educated woman. Nobody should have to endure this kind of abuse. I had a much better understanding of depression and anxiety following my accident and before this assault. My depression had so little effect on the events that night except that my lack of excitement and low mood did seem to agitate him further. I can only imagine what would have happened with this man if there was serious mental illness with symptoms present. This police abuse is inexcusable. The department of justice investigated but not enough proof to prosecute. (blue shield). This training should be mandatory and I agree with Kim and applaud her in assisting her community. I may do the same. This needs to change. It is a domino effect. Family, friends, a whole community.
The mention of the homeless Vermont women that was tasered neglected to point out that this same police department in Barre, VT ended up tasering a man, with mental health issues, that was on the phone with a crisis hotline during a “safety check.”
If one reviews the Barre City regulations it is plainly spelled out that Tasers are to be used in lieu of other “lethal force.” It is doubtful that police would have considered using a gun in either of these cases.