The NEOMED Police Department (NPD) is committed to ensuring officers respond effectively and safely to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Most of our officers are trained Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officers. CIT is a model that trains law enforcement officers to recognize the signs of an individual experiencing a mental health crisis; de-escalation skills; linking the individual to appropriate services; and diverting them from the criminal justice system if appropriate. NPD officers have successfully utilized their CIT skills on several occasions to assist individuals on campus.
In an effort to enhance NPD’s CIT program, we have recently updated our Crisis Intervention policy, as well as identified a CIT Coordinator for our department. Both of these steps better align us with the CIT model. Officer Allan Jones will be serving as NPD’s CIT Coordinator. In this role, Officer Jones will be keeping track of statistics, creating an annual report, and facilitating follow-up activities as needed regarding mental health-related calls for service to which our officers respond.
It’s important for the campus community to be aware that NPD officers are CIT trained, and that officers have the empathy and compassion to effectively and safely respond to mental health crises.