Improving Police Response to Persons Affected by Mental Illness

Publication Date: 2017
Tag(s): community relations, crisis intervention and response, law enforcement, mental health, strategies
Author(s): International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
Abstract: The report and campaign, developed by law enforcement leaders alongside mental health professionals and advocates, offer concrete strategies to institutionalize the improved delivery of mental health services. These strategies demand the committed efforts of both law enforcement agencies and the mental health community to reduce officer and civilian fatalities or injuries resulting from encounters between law enforcement officials and persons affected by mental illness. The IACP's advisory group of leading experts on police response to persons affected by mental illness believes that these strategies, if implemented properly, will better serve and improve the well-being of persons affected by mental illness, their families, and their neighborhoods, as well as enhance the quality of overall community-police relations.