DATE: February 21, 2018
Crisis Intervention Training
As residents of Marietta cope with the tragedy that occurred in Florida one week ago, the national conversation has shifted to “recognizing and dealing with mental illness.” Your Marietta Police Department command staff felt it was important to keep the community informed about what we are doing to address these concerns.
Each year the Senior Command staff develops a strategic plan that includes measurable objectives in predominant public safety issues. In late 2016, we established strategic goals for 2017 that included “Enhancing Police Approach to Mental Illness.” This goal included multiple objectives, the most significant being a commitment to educate all officers and Sergeants on “Crisis Intervention Training” (CIT). CIT training requires officers to attend a (40) hour course which includes controlled face to face interactions with individuals who are diagnosed with various mental health conditions. The vast majority of our officers completed their CIT training in 2017. Newer officers, and those whose schedules conflicted with training will be trained in 2018.
Looking back at the department’s overall performance in 2017 we are very encouraged by the immediate results of CIT training. We share with you here a few of the more noteworthy encounters between MPD officers and Mental Health Consumers (MHC) from 2017:
- April 5th, MHC carjacked a Corvette and threatened to kill the owner. When located and confronted the agitated MHC jumped on top of a nearby vehicle and made multiple gestures like he was reaching for a weapon. While the officers would have conceivably been justified in using deadly force, CIT trained officers were able to deescalate the situation and take the MHC into custody without injury.
- June 5th, Officers were dispatched to a heated domestic dispute near the Marietta Square. When they arrived, they observed a male displaying signs of being a MHC. The suspect had multiple outstanding warrants for violent crimes in another state and strenuously struggled to flee the area on foot. MHC was taken into custody by CIT trained officers with minimal scratches and scrapes.
- June 6th Officers confronted a MHC who was sitting in front of a closed business, surrounded by several bags of personal belongings. When confronted, the MHC made multiple illogical statements before pulling a knife from her bag and pointing it at the officers. The threatening MHC was taken into custody by CIT trained officers without injury.
- December 4th Officers were dispatched to a residence to contain a young adult who reportedly was armed with a knife, acting erratically and damaging his own home. 911 dispatch informed the officers in route that the mother of the suspect locked herself in a bedroom and was specifically requesting a CIT trained officer. Immediately upon his arrival, the first officer was confronted by the MHC. The MHC approached the officer rapidly, carrying a large wooden table leg over his head. The CIT trained officer wrestled the MHC and used de-escalation techniques in order to control him until back-up could arrive. The MHC was taken into custody with no major injuries.
Chief Dan Flynn noted that while that each situation our officers encounter is unique, he is proud of the progress made with Mental Health training. “We remain committed to educating and training our officers, so they can provide the best protection and service to our community.”
