Staff Reports
Five representatives from the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department and Columbus Police Department completed Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training in Boone County.
CIT certified law enforcement officers receive specialized training to respond to calls involving persons experiencing a mental health crisis.
CIT International describes the training and team as a “community partnership of law enforcement, mental health and addiction professionals, individuals who live with mental illness and/or addiction disorders, their families and other advocates. It is an innovative first-responder model of police-based crisis intervention training to help persons with mental disorders and/or addictions access medical treatment rather than place them in the criminal justice system due to illness related behaviors. It also promotes officer safety and the safety of the individual in crisis.”
“CIT gives law enforcement additional tools to do our job safely and effectively and research shows that CIT is associated with improved officer attitude and knowledge about mental illness,” said Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Maj. Chris Lane.
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office and Columbus Police Department are coordinating to host a CIT training in the future to expand the number of CIT trained law enforcement officers serving the Bartholomew County area.
