Future Trends

Future Trends in Crisis Intervention and Mental Health

Services offered by Law Enforcement.

With the increase in mental illness and major crisis like 9/11 and
the Ebola scare, our law enforcement agencies are need of greater
training in order to better focus on crisis intervention as well
dealing with individuals who suffer from illnesses which greatly
affect the individuals state of mind. When situation such as this
arise we must be on guard and ready to deal with whatever the
situation hands in the best possibly way, even if that means greater
training is required. However, we often fail to realize how much
our law enforcement officers deal with crisis and those with mental
health concern even when dealing with an average 9/11 call for
things such as domestic violence.

Domestic Violence Requires

Crisis Intervention
Domestic violence is an ever increasing trend that is leaving
women and children as well as men in a state of mental
distress that requires both crisis intervention and mental
health services; however, neither of these are readily
available upon arriving to the initial scene. Therefore, it is
the job of the first responders and law enforcement officers
to handle these situations with extreme caution and care.
It is with out surprise that when officers first approach
individuals who have had angel and violence taken out on
them, that these individuals are often distraught and
confused with the situation. The psychological abuse
endured during physical and verbal violence is something
that can ultimately last long term if not treated and
handled properly.

Trend and Mental Health

What

More training

Better understanding

Healthier for suspect or mentally ill

Positive Effect on Mental

Health

Victims

Social Workers

Police Officers

Who Benefits

How

Victims receive
needed help

Social workers and

Officers resolve more
together

Charging and Prosecuting Domestic

Violence: Special Challenges

Victims of domestic
violence are often
reluctant to report the
abuse. Abuse victims may
hope that the abuse was
an isolated act that will
not be repeated. Or they
may be fearful that
reporting the violence will
only goad their attacker
into further violence.

The Difficulty with

prosecuting domestic
violence cases is that even
when victims of domestic
violence report attacks to
the police, victims often
refuse to testify against
their attackers at trial.

Police Challenges:
Issues around underreporting

Reporting is very variable

Also other violent crime

is underreported

Women feel embarrassed,

ashamed, fear for more
violence, economic
dependence, children

Correlation between
degree of under-reporting

Degree of intimacy

Degree of seriousness

Nature of offence (more

stigma on sexual violence)

Recommendations for Law

Enforcement on Domestic Violence
Training

Practice

Educate officers on the causes of domestic

violence

Provide legal recommendations and community

services for protection & safety

Treat it like any other serious crime

Good Evidence
Collection
Seize any weapons
Make arrests

Focus on the victims and their safety

Conduct on-scene crisis interventions

Partner with the community

School

Churches

Shelters

Use volunteers
whenever possible

Recommendations for Law

Enforcement on Domestic Violence
Policies

Potential Issues

Victims not wanting to leave abusive partner

Abuser is too aggressive or mentally unstable

Inform victims of their rights

High priority calls

Make appropriate arrests

Make the safety of all parties, especially

children, a priority

Threatened by any
weapon

Hostage situations

Conclusion
Domestic violence is a common crime which
requires good skills that focus on mental
disturbance. Higher quality training that
focuses on the increase in domestic violence
cases puts greater focus on the mental status
which will assist programs to focus on the inter
workings of the mind which will often assist the
officers in de-escalation of the situation in stead
of escalating the situation causing more victims
and dangers than necessary.

Reference

Department of Human Support Services.(n.d.).Model domestic

violence law enforcement policy.Retrieved from
http://chfs.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/54B7AF71-5428- 4EC6AE69158BBFBF8031/0/ModelDomesticViolenceLaw
EnforcementPolic y.htm

Reuland, M.(n.d.).Policy-community partnerships to address

domestic violence.Retrieved from http://ric-zaiinc.com/Publications/cops-p091-pub.pdf

Teaching Crisis Intervention: Working with the Whole

Situation.(2014).Retrieved from
http://www.academia.edu/2420722/Teaching_
crisis_intervention_Working_with_the_whole_student

Tjaden, Patricia & Thoennes, Nancy. National Institute of Justice and

the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, Extent, Nature and
Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence: Findings from the
National Violence Against Women Survey, (2000)