Lakewood Police Department
Policy and Procedure
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) 		Effective Date: 11/21/2016
Policy Number: PP-9607 - Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)
 
  1. Policy

    The Lakewood Police Department recognizes persons with mental illness and their families need to be treated with compassion and respect. The purpose of the Crisis Intervention Team is to assist the Patrol Division in providing an effective response to situations involving subjects that are suspected and/or verifiably mentally ill, suicidal or experiencing severe crisis.  The following policy outlines how C.I.T. agents can be utilized to work with persons with mental illness and people in crisis in order to maintain the safety of the individual, their families, the agents, and the public and to provide an opportunity for proper medical attention.
  2. Procedure
    1. All members of the Crisis Intervention Team (C.I.T.) must complete a 40-hour C.I.T. certification course. 
    2. The Crisis Intervention Team will consist of a Patrol Sergeant who will act as the program coordinator.  Additional team members may consist of both C.I.T. certified sergeants and patrol agents. 
    3. Selection of Crisis Intervention Team members. 
      1. Agents or sergeants interested in becoming C.I.T. certified must be approved to attend the 40-hour C.I.T. course through their chain of command.
      2. Selection will be based on the following criteria:
        1. Must have at least one year of police experience. 
        2. Must be recommended by the agent or sergeant's immediate supervisor. 
        3. Must have demonstrated outstanding communication skills, an ability to defuse volatile situations, sound judgment and strong officer safety skills. 
    4. Crisis Intervention Team agents may respond, when available, to assist with calls for service as well as during interview and interrogation involving a crisis where mental illness is believed to be a factor or where a subject in crisis represents a danger to him/her self or others. 
    5. C.I.T. agents may also respond at the request of the on scene supervisor or agent at the scene of a crisis situation. 
    6. When not acting in the capacity of a C.I.T., agent, the agent will perform their normal duty functions. 
    7. When the circumstances warrant the activation of the SWAT Team, continued use of the C.I.T. agent will be at the discretion of the SWAT Crisis Negotiation Team Leader. 
    8. Crisis Intervention Team members will be involved in training set forth by the C.I.T. coordinator.

PP-9700 - Special Enforcement Team (SET)