Monmouth County Police Learn Tactics To De-Escalate Crisis Calls

MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ — Mental health and the way police officers respond to crisis situations are two topics that are at the forefront of a national discussion on policing in the United States.

That's why this June, for the first time ever, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office hosted an intensive training for local police officers, to teach police strategies to de-escalate encounters with those who have a mental illness.

This is the first time a training like this has been done in Monmouth County, announced Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey, who took over June 1 when Prosecutor Chris Gramiccioni stepped down.

Called the "Crisis Intervention Team Training," this was an intensive five-day interactive training. In total, 25 officers graduated from the training, which concluded last Friday, June 18.

Five counselors from Monmouth Medical Center, the Monmouth County Mental Health Association, the Monmouth County Mental Health Board and CPC Behavioral Healthcare were brought in to talk to local police officers.

The counselors gave police an in-depth look at a number of issues including mental illness, behavioral health, developmental disabilities and the best law enforcement response during a crisis. Police were taught how to de-escalate a crisis when they respond to a 911 call involving a person who may have mental illness.

The counselors were also told to build relationships with the police officers in the class and to better understand the issues faced by police, who are often the first responders to such a crisis.

The departments that sent officers to the training included the Monmouth County Sheriff, Atlantic Highlands Police Department, Asbury Park Police Department, Bradley Beach Police Department, Hazlet Police Department, Highlands Police Department, Holmdel Police Department, Long Branch Police Department, Keansburg Police Department, Keyport Police Department, Manalapan Police Department, Matawan Police Department, Middletown Police Department, Neptune City Police Department, Neptune Township Police Department, Ocean Township Police Department, Red Bank Police Department and Wall Township Police Department.

A second Crisis Intervention Training program is scheduled later this year in October.

"Our goal is to have as many Crisis Intervention trained officers as possible in all of our agencies. We will continue to push forward to reach that goal which benefits the communities that we serve,” said acting Prosecutor Linskey.

“We have been advocating for the creation of a CIT program in Monmouth County for some time. We are gratified that our officers are participating and we believe the initiation of CIT training will make an enormous difference to our residents,” said Asbury Park Mayor John Moor.

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