Lockport officers schooled in de-escalation
Lockport Union-Sun & JournalApr 27, 2017
One study by The
In an effort to avoid these potentially horrific outcomes, and get people with mental illness into treatment rather than incarceration, last week
The training, developed by clinical psychologist Dr.
Chief
"The real benefit of CIT is officer safety. A lot of officers get hurt or killed dealing with people with mental health issues."
The week-long training program, held at the Niagara Power Vista in
Kamin said the program stresses setting a deliberate pace during these interactions. By slowing down, he said, officers can take the time to understand what issues the person is facing, express empathy to their problems and ultimately calm them down.
Kamin added that the vast majority of police encounters with people with mental health issues end peacefully, but that sometimes they go "horribly wrong."
"The biggest thing we emphasize is slowing down," said Kamin, who is director of the
The training also teaches officers communication skills, again to empathize with the individuals and de-escalate tense situations.
Another goal of CIT programs is to reduce incarceration of people with serious mental illness. According to the
Kamin says the program does not seek to keep criminals with mental illness out of jail, it tries to get people with these issues the help that they need.
"This isn't a get-out-of-jail-free card," he said. "The CIT model is one that says everybody is better off if you can divert somebody from jail and get them into treatment."
This often involves collaborating with other agencies, such as
"What really makes an effective CIT program is collaboration with community partners," Kamin said.
In recent years, as groups like
However, the push for CIT programs began in the late 1980s in
Today, more than 3,000 police departments throughout the country have sent officers to CIT training.
Kamin, a former police academy trainer, helped develop the first CIT program in
In 2014, the state senate approved funding for more upstate police departments to send officers to CIT training (
This year, nine agencies were chosen. And as
In future interactions with people with mental health issues, Niethe plans to deploy officers with CIT training, to hopefully avoid an unnecessary incarceration or injury. He commends Kamin for his efforts in better training first responders statewide how to deal with people with mental health issues.
"He's a brilliant guy and his heart is really in this," Niethe said.
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