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44.0 RESPONSE TO MENTAL ILLNESS Page 1 of 7 EDGEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER # 44.1 RESPONSE TO PERSONS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AND OTHER MENTAL DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES Revision Date: April 10, 2019 The purpose of this General Order is to discuss procedures regarding the interaction of law enforcement personnel with persons suspected of suffering from mental illness. During encounters involving persons with mental illness, law enforcement personnel must be able to observe and assess relevant aspects of the individual and the environment so that he/she can evaluate the safety of the situation, understand the condition of the individual, and use this information in reporting and responding. This orde r consists of the following numbered sections: I. Definitions II. Recognition III. Risk Assessment IV. Crisis Intervention V. Disposition VI. Interview and Interrogation I. DEFINITIONS A. Mental Illness - An impairment of the ability to exercise consciou s control of one's actions, or to perceive reality, or to understand, which substantially interferes with a person's ability to meet the ordinary demands of living. The term does not include retardation or developmental disability as defined in Florida Statute Chapter 393, simple intoxication, or conditions manifest ed only by non-dangerous antisocial behavior or drug addiction. B. Alzheimer’s Disease - A severe neurological disorder marked by progressive deterioration of intellectual faculties and cerebral cortical atrophy. C. Autism - A developmental disability that may affect all areas of functioning and interaction with others. Persons with au tism may have varying degrees of communications and social skills. D. Delusion - A false personal belief based on incorrect inference about reality and firmly sustained in spite of what almost everyone believes and in spite of what constitutes inc ontrovertible and obvious proof or evidence to the contrary. E. Dementia - An irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties with accompanying emotional disturbance resulting from organic brain disorder. 44.0 RESPONSE TO MENTAL ILLNESS Page 2 of 7 F. Depression - Refers to feelings of sadn ess, despair and unhappiness. Depression may also be a specific psychiatric di agnosis or component of illness. G. Disorientation - Confusion about the date or time of day, where one is (place), or who one is (identity). H. Euphoria - An exaggerated feeling of physical and emotional wellbeing not consistent with apparent stimuli or events; usually of a psychological origin, but also seen in organic brain diseases, toxic, and drug induced states. I. Hallucination - A sensory perception without external stimulation of the relevant sensory organ (eyes, ears, mouth, touch, and tongue). A hallucination has the immediate sense of reality of true perception. It may be induced by emotional or other factors such as alcohol, drugs, or stress. Any sense may be involved. J. Illusion - A misperception of a real external stimulus. A n example may be misinterpreting rustling leaves as the sound of human voices. K. Incoherence - Speech that, for the most part, is not understandable, owing to any of the following: a lack of logical meaningful connection between words, phrases or sentences; excessive use of incomplete sentences, excessive irrelevance or abrupt changes in subject matter, idiosyncratic word usage; distorted grammar. L. Mania - Concurrently used as a suffix to indicate a morbid preoccupation with some kind of id ea or activity. Example: Kleptomania (a compulsion to steal). M. Mental Retardation - A developmental disability characterized by significantly impaired intellectual functioning. Learning social adjustment and matur ity are impaired. Emotional disturb ance is often present. The degree of retardation is commonly measured in terms of I.Q.: borderline (70 -85), mild (50 -70); moderate (35-50), severe (20 -35), and profound (under 20). N. Neurosis - An emotional maladaptation arising from an unresolved unconscious conflict. The anxiety is either felt directly or modified by various psychological mechanism s to produce other subjectively distressing symptoms. O. Paranoia - Ideation involving suspiciousness or the belief that one is being harassed , persecuted or unfairly treated. P. Phobia - A persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity or situation that results in a compelling desire to avoid the dreaded object, activity, or situation. Q. Psychotic - Gross impairment in reality t esting and the creating of a new reality. When a person is psychotic, the person incorrectly evaluates his or her perceptions and thoughts, and makes incorrect inferences about external reality, even in the face of contrary evidence. R. Schizophr enia - A debilitating thought disorder; causes some people to experience delusions and auditory and visual hallucinations. Persons may be withdrawn, regressive, and bizarre. S. Tourette Syndrome - A neurological disorder characterized by repeated involuntary movements and uncontrollable vocal sounds called tics. T. Antisocial Behavior - Disruptive acts characterized by covert and overt hostility and intentional aggression toward others. Antisocial behaviors exist along a severity continuum and include repeated violations of social rules, defiance of 44.0 RESPONSE TO MENTAL ILLNESS Page 3 of 7 authority and of the rights of others, deceitfulness, theft, and reckless disregard for se lf and others. U. Post -traumatic Stress