CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — Finger Lakes police rookies went through a real-life mental health scenario Wednesday to help them better respond to people they encounter.
News10NBC investigative reporter Jennifer Luke toured the area and learned why this training is important in reducing police use of force.
In one scenario, a social worker acted as if he was experiencing a mental crisis to see how a police rookie would cope.
“I have to go to the doctor’s office,” the woman said.
“Which clinic do I need to go to?” the recruit asked.
“I don’t know his name,” she replied.
In another scenario, an intoxicated woman who had just been dumped by her boyfriend refused to come out of the laundry room of her apartment building.
“What are your hobbies?” the new recruit asked.
“What are you worried about?” the woman replied.
“I just want to talk to you, I just want to make sure you’re OK, I just want to know what’s going on,” the recruit said.
As he continues to talk with her, the newcomer learns more about the situation.
“Did you leave your medicine behind?” the recruit asked.
“Yes, he told me to kill myself,” the woman said.
“Do you know what medicine he left you with?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you take any?”
“No, but you should,” she replied.
These are just some of the things new recruits will face when they hit the streets, and the hope is that by showing empathy and offering help, they can defuse the situation and reduce the chances of it getting worse.
“No one wants anything to happen to you. I’m really sorry your boyfriend dumped you, but we really want to help you,” the recruit said.
For weeks, the Finger Lakes Law Enforcement Academy has been training new recruits in crisis intervention, and on Wednesday they put what they’ve learned in the classroom into practice.
“If you really think about it, people don’t call the police because things are going well in their lives, they call the police because there’s a problem or a crisis that they can’t solve on their own. So every time we’re called out with a complaint, someone is literally in crisis,” said Sergeant Mark Taylor with the Finger Lakes Law Enforcement Training Academy.
The rookie officers are being observed by a team of licensed clinical social workers and the Clifton Springs Psychiatric Unit, who will prepare them for when they become the deputies and officers who respond to these calls in the real world.
“How do we teach new hires how to respond and recognize a moment of crisis, and then we can take over,” said Beverly Prince, a licensed clinical social worker at Clifton Springs Hospital.
For new recruits to the Geneva Police Department like Nate Jacon, it means doing things differently.
“We don’t always make arrests, we don’t always take direct action, we go out and try to make a positive impact on people ages 5 to 65,” Jacon said.
Police academies have offered classroom training on mental health for decades, but real-world scenarios have been added in recent years as the number of calls for mental health issues has soared.
Most local agencies say at least half of their calls now relate to mental health or domestic issues.
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