The Dallas Police Department has seen an increase in calls to people experiencing emotional distress and other social service dilemmas. Become.
On Tuesday, CIT members responded to simulated scenarios in a controlled environment.
Kevin Oden is Interim Director of the Office of Integrated Public Safety Solutions. He said all the stories during his sessions in training reflected real situations.
In 2014, Dallas police responded to a call from a woman whose son had a mental illness and who had a screwdriver in her hand. Oden said the driver was a stimulant. A man identified as Jason Harrison refused to put the driver down. Police said he acted aggressively and was shot and killed by officers who responded.
Oden said there are growing demands for extreme behavioral health, food security and other social service needs.
“Every day, police departments respond to dozens, if not hundreds, of service requests focused on these needs,” he said.
That’s why crisis intervention team members are being trained to work with law enforcement. They are unarmed civilians with knowledge of mental health, social services resources, and de-escalation tactics.
Each of the Dallas Police Department’s seven divisions will be assigned two CIT members. CIT members respond on a “referral” basis. That is, the officer demands her CIT member at the scene.
CIT member Antonia Altman is with the North Central Dallas Police Department.
“It’s already a high-stakes situation,” Altman said. “So if you can get someone who is not in uniform and looks like a normal civilian, that person will feel less anxious and will want to talk and communicate.”
With CIT members on the streets, police hope to improve 911 response times as well.
In the fall of 2021, it took police an average of 8 minutes and 12 seconds to arrive at the scene of a call for the most serious category of crimes. 26 seconds up from the previous year.
DPD 911 administrator Robert Uribe said:
Ultimately, both members and trainers said it was important to adequately address very specific needs.
The program is scheduled to begin next month at Dallas’ North Central Station. They spend about three months acclimating there before expanding to six other divisions.
For more information about the City of Dallas Integrated Public Safety Solutions Office, please visit: https://dallascityhall.com/departments/OIPSS/Pages/default.aspx
