LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE TO PEOPLE IN CRISIS
White Paper
White Paper
A nationwide survey report
Nearly 44 million Americans experience mental illness each year. Whether experiencing suicidal despair, psychosis brought about by long-term drug use, or paranoia due to a medication interruption, people in crisis have an elevated chance of coming into contact with law enforcement officers. Some incidents involve criminal conduct, but often officers are called because there is no one else to respond.
Despite the prevalence of such calls, there is surprisingly little data to paint a clear picture of their impact on officers and agencies. So Lexipol, partnering with the law enforcement training company Calibre Press, conducted a nationwide, comprehensive survey to shed light on the issue.
This white paper presents the results from this survey, compiling responses from 4,200 officers and leaders who shared their perspectives on the frequency and nature of such calls and how their training and policies prepare them. It also presents 5 key recommendations for agencies.
By sharing this information, we hope to empower officers and agencies to better understand this complex problem and lay a foundation to build solutions.