Local law enforcement officers come into contact with individuals with mental health issues every day on the job.
While some situations resolve quickly, others can be outright dangerous — for those on both sides of the badge.
The Columbus Police and Bartholomew County Sheriff’s departments have recognized this, and have opted to expand the number of officers receiving specialized training to handle these types of crisis situations.
Both offices are putting an emphasis on Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, which collaborates law enforcement and mental health resources in the community.
The 40-hour program teaches officers skills and strategies to de-escalate unstable situations that require a different approach than criminal offenses — including substance abuse crises, depression, suicide, traumatic brain injuries, among other mental illnesses.
So far, five officers at the two agencies have undergone the training, and an additional 18 are expected to get trained at a session that will be held this November.
Key parts of the training include active listening skills, building trust with an individual experiencing a mental health crisis, and not escalating the situation as long as everyone is safe and “time is on our side."
In 2020, local police transported individuals to Columbus Regional Hospital 382 times for evaluation. The number of these emergency detentions by the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office increased 78% last year while CPD saw a 26% jump.
The same day that The Republic’s article on CIT was published, an instance occurred in Taylorsville that demonstrated how effective the training can be.
On May 19, deputies were dispatched near the Red Roof Inn and Kentucky Fried Chicken after a witness reported a man was jumping around a car and was possibly brandishing a handgun.
Two deputies, trained in CIT, spoke with the man, who said he had just finished a 28-day stint in rehab but relapsed and used methamphetamine and had not slept in four days. The man had a pellet or paint gun, and later agreed to be taken to CRH.
The situation could have ended much differently if the officers had not been trained.
CPD and the sheriff’s department should be applauded for making sure their officers are better trained to handle these types of high-pressure situations.
This type of training for all officers could provide better outcomes for police and suspects as well.
