phoenix – Officers say mental health calls are among the most complex cases police face.
We have training methods in place for new employees to deal with such situations. FOX 10’s Steve Nielsen takes a peek inside a creative workout plan.
Phoenix Police Develops Unique Training Method
Phoenix police have developed an ingenious technique to help train recruits for cases involving people with autism. FOX 10’s Steve Nielsen has more.
What made you change your training?
For Phoenix Police Sergeant Francisco Valenzuela, a light bulb went off a few years ago when he was put in charge of interpersonal communication training. It uses his autistic son, Nicholas, as a real-life training mechanism, allowing police officers to practice training skills that mimic real-life situations.
“This is probably the most realistic scenario that we will ever have here at the academy,” Valenzuela said.
New employee Casey Basile said the experience was eye-opening, even though she had no prior knowledge of what would happen.
“I knew right away that he was autistic,” she said. “I have a sister with Down syndrome, so I can deal with it quickly.”
Is your training helpful?
“A lot of those calls sound like someone is using drugs or acting strangely in the park, so when you answer the phone you don’t know it’s an autistic person. You never think about it, but you have to keep in mind disabilities and mental illness,” Basil elaborated.
The Phoenix Police Department is under investigation by the Justice Department, which is looking into how officers respond to mental and behavioral health calls.
“It seems like our recruits are panicking, what should we do?” Valenzuela said. “Well, there’s no way the direction of the investigation will change.”
“There are different paths to a solution. Their job is to try to be critical thinkers and try to reunite Nicholas with his parents.”
There are real benefits for Basile.
“It’s something you’ll never forget, so you’ll experience it now and know exactly what to do when you’re actually there,” she said.
How long has this type of training been going on?
Valenzuela introduced the training method four years ago, meaning hundreds of active Phoenix police officers have gone through the training with Nicholas.
After each scenario, Valenzuela evaluates whether the trainee’s actions were right or wrong.
“There’s no better way to get full exposure. These recruits are growing through real-life, real-life scenarios,” he said.
