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Over the past few days, officers with various local law enforcement departments have been training to respond to a mental health crises. Houghton Police Department’s Lieutenant Nick Roberts says that this type of training is very important to officers in the Upper Peninsula; due to the frequency of mental health crisis incidents officers respond to. Officers are also interested in learning de-escalation techniques for everyday use while interacting with the community.
“And I can tell you this is one of the biggest tools in my belt. I use it everyday, it doesn’t have to be someone in crisis. It can be just talking to people on a traffic stop, or in passing. Maybe someone is just having a bad day. It helps us to be able to better sympathize with that person. Try to understand what they are going through, and giving them better tools too. So it works for me every day.” – Lt. Nick Roberts, Houghton City Police Department
Law enforcement with the Houghton County Sheriff, Michigan State police, Houghton P.D., Hancock Police, and Laurium Village Police participated in the MCOLES Behavioral Health Partnership Training Program. Classroom instruction teaches officers different techniques to de-escalate a situation, then officers practice those skills in a fact based scenario, which allows them to slow down and work through steps.
“All of the academies within the next couple of years will be mandated to teach this material. All throughout the State of Michigan. What we’re doing is instructing officers that have already gone through the academies, that have not had this training. So what we’re doing is taking fact based scenarios, and then we’ll begin introducing the officers to those. It slows it down for them, when you’re in a classroom situation. Where we can stop and go through it with them. Versus being on the road and having to think quickly. This slows it down a little bit. And we break it down until they get the idea of talking people through their crisis.” – Lt. Nick Roberts, Houghton City Police Department
The State of Michigan wants officers trained to take on any situation, and have the ability to create a safe environment for those dealing with a mental health crisis. Houghton’s Police Department and other local law enforcement are committed to improving their response to mental health crises in the communities they serve. If you are interested in learning more about the State of Michigan’s mental health training for law enforcement officers, you can find links below.
Behavioral Health Emergency Training for Officers, EMS and First Responders
