18 Calhoun County Officers Complete Crisis Intervention Training

Several law enforcement officers in Calhoun County have now been certified in a program that helps their response to citizens with mental illness and addictions.

The Albion Department of Public Safety says that last week, 18 Calhoun County officers became members of the Calhoun County Crisis Intervention Team, including 4 of their ADPS officers; that brings the total of Albion officers in that team to 7. The Crisis Intervention Team, or CIT, program is designed to train officers on how to intervene and help persons with mental disorders and/or addictions, and get them the medical treatment they need. It’s meant to help keep them out of the criminal justice system due to “illness related behaviors”.

Battle Creek Police Officers first underwent CIT training in the fall of 2017, in partnership with Summit Pointe. In the department's response to a controversial incident earlier that year, BCPD Chief Jim Blocker says “The Battle Creek Police Department will continue our commitment to working with Summit Pointe and training our officers with relevant and realistic training so that we can do this in the most respectful and effective way possible, and advance our community policing goals.”