Crime & Safety

Local Officers Undergo Crisis Training

The heads of local law enforcement say the training should lead to better relations with those with mental illnesses or brain disorders.

Deputies and officers with the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, Hiram Police Department, and the Cartersville Police Department chaplain successfully completed 40 hours of additional training Feb. 11 with the Georgia Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) to more effectively assist individuals with mental illnesses and other brain disorders who are in a crisis. CIT officers are regular law enforcement officers who have volunteered for this training.

CIT is a dynamic collaboration of professionals who are committed to those with mental illnesses and other brain disorders. This program is successful because of its strong partnership of volunteers that include law enforcement and corrections officers, mental health professionals, advocates, consumers and family members. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, individuals who have an identified brain disorder constitute the single most persecuted and least understood group of people in Georgia. Trained CIT law enforcement officers who are experienced in community policing and possess effective problem-solving skills will be prepared to assist this population. These officers use compassion, respect, listening skills, and knowledge of the crisis intervention stages in order to de-escalate a crisis situation.

“We will ensure that law enforcement officers in Paulding County are providing a consistently high level of service to all community members, and afford those who suffer with brain disorders the same rights, dignity, and access to police and other community services that are provided to all citizens,” Paulding County Sheriff Gary Gulledge said in a release. Gulledge added that these newly trained CIT law enforcement officers will add to the existing number of trained CIT officers that are already in place at the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office. He also pointed out a few of the positive outcomes expected from this type of training:

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  • Decreased number of people with mental illness incarcerated.
  • Decreased officer and consumer injuries.
  • Officers become advocates for the mentally ill.
  • Mentally ill patients and their families are more willing to call police for help.

Hiram Police Chief Gary Yandura was part of the very first graduating class of the Georgia Crisis Intervention Team. He noted that “having a brain disorder is not a crime and certain infractions such as traffic violations, loitering, and even disorderly conduct may be a manifestation of a person’s illness or failure to receive proper treatment for the illness, rather than the result of intentional wrongdoing.” Yandura added that CIT officers are trained to recognize certain signs of mental illnesses or other brain disorders and provide support and assistance to those individuals.

CIT is sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Georgia Department of Human Resources Division of Mental Health, Development Disabilities and Addictive Diseases, Georgia Bureau of Investigations, Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, Georgia Sheriffs’ Association Inc., and Georgia Public Safety Training Center.

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