The NOPD today (March 29) graduated the newest class of police officers trained in specialized de-escalation techniques known as Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training. This is the ninth class to graduate from the training since the program launched in September 2015. 

CIT is a nationally recognized ‘best practices’ approach in recognizing and managing behavior that may be attributable to a mental health disorder. As a part of the federal consent decree, the NOPD was expected to train 20 percent of patrol officers in CIT training by the fall of 2016. However, the NOPD has exceeded those expectations and have now trained 35 percent of patrol officers in crisis intervention in order to continue to provide the best possible crisis response to the community.

“We’re not doing this because we have too; we’re doing this because we want too and it’s working,” said NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison. “CIT training provides our officers with the knowledge they need to keep themselves safe and to get help to those who need it. This comprehensive training is another example of how the NOPD is leading the way in police reform and modernizing police for the 21st century."

Training includes lectures from mental health experts as well as on-site visitation and exposure to mental health facilities, intensive interaction with individuals with a mental illness and scenario-based de-escalation skills training.

The following individuals were presented with their CIT certificates and pins:

Officer Christopher Abbott

Officer Emilio Aleman

Officer Jazmine Carey

Officer Zachary Cousins

Officer William Edwards Jr.

Officer Colleen Formanek

Officer Takeshia Fournier

Officer Brian Frank

Sergeant Julie Jacobs

Officer Denis James

Officer Louis Johnson

Officer Shontrell Johnson

Officer Peter Kalpas

Officer Larry King

Officer Kenneth Kuykindall

Officer Laura McGuire

Officer Marian Mickey

Officer Colin Niselman

Officer Kimberly Nunez

Officer Kelsey Poole

Officer Dwight Sallier

Officer Kelly Scharffbillig

Officer Benjamin Slates

Officer Oscar Varela

Officer Damian Webster