Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 408 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: JULY 2016 O ne of the big buzzwords in law enforce- ment right now is de-es- calation. The challenge is how to slow down tense incidents involving police officers and citizens so that cops have more opportunities to produce better outcomes. In Western Montana re- cently, law enforcement professionals spent a week training in de-escalation techniques that can help them when dealing with those struggling with mental illness or developmental disabilities. Like most of these training programs, instructors used exercises that simulated environments where officers come into contact with emo- tionally disturbed persons. One scenario involved a man with schizophrenia who was trying to nail a cross up in a school library. There were plenty of oth- er exercises as well. They included hostage situations, illicit drug use and dealing with disturbed inmates at correctional facilities. “We give them tools of things to say and resources available within the com- munity,” Montana CIT coordinator Jim Anderson told NBC News. “We try to get them to the facility that best suits them,” said Ravalli County CIT law enforcement co- ordinator Dan Mendonca. “We want to help them get through a crisis with as little force as possible.” “They’re taught to recog- nize signs and symptoms,” said Kimber Smith, with the Western Montana Mental Health Center. “For example, for a per- son that experiences psy- chosis, officers are educated on what diagnosis may be associated with that.” The training is critical for officers as rates of mental illness, suicide and drug addiction are skyrocketing. Anderson said in his own Gallatin County there are about six mental health emergencies every day. Anderson says that while some might thumb their nose at the term de-escala- tion, it’s about protecting officers first and foremost. Studies have shown de-es- calation and crisis interven- tion training can reduce of- ficer injuries by a whopping 85 percent. Anything that can protect the public and police at the same time is well worth pursuing. “The injuries for people struggling with men- tal illness is also dropping,” he said, “because we know how to help them and in- teract with them instead of using force or violence,” Anderson noted. Ravalli County Sheriff’s Deputy Jake Auch told re- porters he thought the train- ing was excellent. “It just opened so many doors to help me communi- cate,” said Auch. “Our job may entail arresting some- one and putting them in jail. But the reason we do this job is to help people and to make our community safer.” De-escalation training is in massive demand all over the country. At right: Sergeant Mike Stephens training Franklin Police Officers in Tennessee recently. De-escalation training is especially critical for officers dealing with suicidal individu- als. For free mental health resources, see page 25. Critical training Get them talking, slow things down RISE ABOVE 360 24/7 SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. ON DEMAND. Skywatch provides the deployable, capable, integrated surveillance system required by today’s law enforcement professionals to monitor key events and locations. With a wide variety of sensors to choose from, Skywatch can be tailored to fit any environment or budget. In a world that requires vision and flexibility, accept no compromises. SEE HOW AT WWW.FLIR.COM/APB