Five Ways a Crisis Intervention Program will reduce liability for your officers and agency.

Overall, CIT training is an effective way to reduce officer and departmental liability by promoting a more thoughtful and compassionate approach to policing. By improving communication, reducing the use of force, and promoting safety for all involved, CIT training can help to prevent costly legal battles and protect the reputation of law enforcement departments.

1. Increased Officer Safety.

By equipping officers with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively respond to crisis situations, CIT training can help improve officer safety. This can reduce the risk of injuries to officers, as well as the risk of lawsuits and other legal claims related to officer safety.

2. Improved Crisis Response.

Crisis Intervention training equips officers with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively de-escalate crisis situations involving individuals experiencing mental health or substance abuse issues. By responding to these situations in a more humane and compassionate manner, officers can reduce the risk of injuries, property damage, and other negative outcomes.

3. Reduced Use of Force.

CIT training emphasizes the use of non-lethal force and encourages officers to use verbal communication and other de-escalation techniques before resorting to physical force. This can help reduce the risk of excessive force lawsuits, which can be costly for both officers and departments.

4. Improved Interagency Coordination.

CIT training promotes collaboration between law enforcement agencies, mental health professionals, and other community partners. This can help officers connect individuals in crisis with appropriate resources, reducing the risk of liability for officers and departments.

5. Enhanced Documentation.

The training also includes instruction on how to properly document interactions with individuals experiencing mental health or substance abuse issues. This can help officers provide more accurate and comprehensive reports, which can be useful in defending against lawsuits and other legal claims.

Bonus (Compliance with Legal Requirements).

Crisis Intervention training helps officers to better understand their legal obligations when responding to individuals in crisis. This can help to ensure that officers comply with legal requirements related to the use of force and the treatment of individuals with mental health conditions. As they are often different then those that apply to someone who has broken the law.

Clearing Up

CIT training will help reduce officer and departmental liability by promoting more effective crisis response, reducing the use of force, improving documentation, promoting interagency coordination, and increasing officer safety. At the very least a well ran CIT program will position your officers to not make things worst once they arrive at a crisis scene.

Why Crisis Intervention Training Is Crucial For Law Enforcement.

Police officers are often the first line of defense when it comes to responding to a crisis situation. These situations can range from domestic violence incidents to mental health crises and even potential active shooter situations. All of these situations have one thing in common. At least one person involved is experiencing crisis. In order to effectively respond to these types of situations, police officers must be properly trained in crisis intervention.

Crisis intervention training (CIT) is a specialized form of training that teaches police officers how to effectively and safely respond to crisis situations. This type of training is important for several reasons.

First and foremost, CIT training can help reduce the likelihood of violence during crisis situations. When officers are trained in de-escalation techniques, they are better equipped to handle situations that may otherwise turn violent. By using techniques such as active listening, empathy, and communication skills, officers can often diffuse a situation before it reaches a point where force is necessary.

Second, CIT training can help improve outcomes for individuals in crisis. In many cases, individuals in crisis may be suffering from mental health issues or substance abuse problems. Without proper training, officers may not be equipped to recognize the signs of these issues or may respond in a way that exacerbates the situation. CIT training provides officers with the knowledge and tools they need to identify and respond appropriately to individuals in crisis, which can help ensure that these individuals receive the support and care they need.

Finally, CIT training can help improve police-community relations. In recent years, there has been growing concern about the use of force by police officers, particularly in situations involving individuals in crisis. By providing officers with specialized training, departments can demonstrate their commitment to addressing these concerns and working to build trust with the communities they serve.

While CIT training is important, it is also important to recognize that it is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to improving police responses to crisis situations. Other important factors include adequate staffing levels, access to mental health resources, and community-based approaches to addressing underlying issues such as poverty and homelessness.

In conclusion, crisis intervention training for police is a critical component of effective law enforcement. By equipping officers with the knowledge and tools they need to respond safely and effectively to crisis situations, we can help improve outcomes for both individuals in crisis and police officers themselves.

Source Material:

1. "Crisis Intervention Teams: A Review of the Literature." National Institute of Justice, https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/crisis-intervention-teams-review-literature.

2. "Why Crisis Intervention Training is Important for Police Officers." National Alliance on Mental Illness, https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/June-2018/Why-Crisis-Intervention-Training-is-Important-for-P.

3. "Crisis Intervention Training: A Proactive Approach to Mental Health." Police Chief Magazine, https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/crisis-intervention-training-a-proactive-approach-to-mental-health/.

4. "Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Programs: A Best Practice Guide for Transforming Community Responses to Mental Health Crises." Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Crisis-Intervention-Team-Programs-A-Best-Practice-Guide-for-Transforming-Community-Responses-to-Mental-Health-Crises/SMA08-4350.

Five Books Under $20 to Improve Your Communication Skills.

#1: You Say More Than You Think: A 7-Day Plan for Using the New Body Language to Get What You Want by Janine Driver and Mariska van Aalst.

This book is an easy read and is laid out in seven-day format to help you recognize and understand body language when communicating with people. This will also help you to be aware of your own body language which will help you from sending mixed signals. Janine is a former ATF agent and is a renowned body language expert. You can learn more about her here.

#2: Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone by Mark Goulston

Listening is a learned skillset. Most of us are not born natural listeners. There is a reason that this book is rated almost 5 stars on Amazon. Mark spent over 25 years as a professor of psychiatry for UCLA. He has also trained police and FBI hostage negotiators. Check Mark out here.

#3: Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss

The power of persuasion is not intuitive. Sure, there are sometimes when you truly know the exact right thing to say at the exact right time. We all have the ability to read the room sometimes. What Chris goes into in his book is an actual strategy of nine separate principles to help you win at negotiation. Some of which are surprisingly counter intuitive. Chris is a former police officer, who joined the FBI and became their lead negotiator for international kidnappings. You can check out some of the other trainings Chris provides here.

#4: Tongue Fu!: How to Deflect, Disarm, and Defuse Any Verbal Conflict by Sam Horn

So don’t let the cheeky title of this book throw you off. This book is full of easy to remember simple to implement tactics when confronting verbal conflict. I recommend this more for handling interoffice conflict as opposed to utilizing on the street. Sam has written multiple books, runs a consulting agency and is also a key note speaker. Sam’s work has been featured in BusinessWeek, New York Times, Forbes, and the Huffington Post just to list a few. Sam also has a new book coming out in 2023 titled Talking on eggshells. Check Sam Out here.

#5: Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Joseph Grenny

In this book Grenny lays out his seven dialogue principles for having stressful but crucial conversations. This book will help you at work, at home with your children and spouse, and on the street. Joseph is a four time New York Times best selling author. Joseph is a social scientist that has conducted social science studies for the last 30 years designed to help businesses increase performance. See what Grenny is up to here.

Why it is important.

We are first responders, cops, firefighters, paramedics, dispatchers etc. Most importantly we are all human first. We have the same fears, anxieties and nuanced thinking that separates us from each other. This also makes communicating in stressful environments difficult and challenging. Take the time to read one of these books and increase your own skill set. Comment below what books you would add to my list.