Editor’s Note: This week’s PoliceOne First Person essay is from PoliceOne Member Tom Wetzel, a police lieutenant, certified law enforcement executive, SWAT officer, and trainer with a suburban police agency. In PoliceOne “First Person” essays, our Members and Columnists candidly share their own unique view of the world. This is a platform from which individual officers can share their own personal insights on issues confronting cops today, as well as opinions, observations, and advice on living life behind the thin blue line. If you want to share your own perspective with other P1 Members, simply send us an e-mail with your story.
By Tom Wetzel
Police1 Member
No matter where an officer works, he or she will likely encounter an individual with mental health problems. These may range from depression to paranoia and the contacts may involve persons in a crisis or in the commission of a crime. How an officer responds to these situations may influence whether force is used, if criminal charges are filed and what kind of follow-up treatment a person will receive.
Over the years, a significant amount of effort has gone into better preparing police personnel to address and assist citizens with mental health problems. But much more can be accomplished to improve upon this level of service and in doing so, our officers will be safer and those in need will be better served.
The following are recommendations to advance this cause.
1.) Training, training, training...
During the academy phase of an officer’s learning process, their training should include visits to mental health institutions to meet staff there. These first hand encounters with those who spend entire shifts with temporarily institutionalized individuals can allow them to better understand what a person in crisis is experiencing and how best to address them while still recognizing officer safety concerns.
Hearing from professional care takers and seeing the environments in which individuals may spend their time healing may increase officer empathy for those they will encounter in crisis.
The value in ongoing verbal skills training is imperative. So much conflict is resolved through the calming presence of an officer who uses words and non verbal actions to defuse situations where stress levels are high. This is valuable for so many situations but is particularly important for those in a mental health crisis.
Verbal skills training should be mandatory requirements in all state academies if they are not already and should be mandated as an annual block of training for all police agencies within the country.
2.) A CRT officer on every department.
Crisis response team officers are an excellent asset for every agency and departments should earmark funds to ensure that there are members on their agency who are trained and certified in this field.
They can be particularly effective in crisis situations where a person needs to be talked down from harming themselves and these types of officers can be effective hostage negotiators if required to take that role.
3.) A prosecutor and court’s role in recognizing the best solutions for those with mental health problems who are accused of a crime.
To prevent persons from being misplaced in a criminal justice system instead of a mental health system, officers need to communicate to their prosecutors on situations where a particular “criminal act” is better addressed outside a court’s walls.
This can be accomplished through an innovative diversion program coordinated through the court for those persons who may get better results through supportive measures versus punitive ones. It is difficult to put a bright line rule on these types of decisions and the interests of victims must be involved in the process but if common sense sprinkled with empathy is applied, the interests of all involved parties can be well served.
4.) Deeper appreciation from police executives.
Whether through written correspondence or training efforts, chiefs of police and those in leadership positions can be especially effective in demonstrating their support on the importance of best serving those with mental health issues as their actions will influence and shape their agency’s culture.
A good consideration would include an agency’s rewards and recognition efforts.
Chiefs appreciate officers who are productive. Some of the measurements for that productivity are numbers of arrests or citations issued. An officer of the year award may go to the officer who had the most felony arrests. This is understandable and certainly appropriate in many cases. But one manner in which police leaders can demonstrate their commitment to this effort is recognizing officers who best serve the mentally ill. Also, when promotional or lateral positions become available, how an officer deals with the difficult circumstances of someone in mental health crisis should be a consideration when deciding who moves where within the agency.
Efficient and effective service to those customers with special needs is an important aspect of a police officer’s role of “protecting and serving.”
These efforts show an agency commitment to making their community a good place to live and work for all its members.
