Policy Text
Policy
444Fremont Police Department
Crisis Intervention Incidents
444.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
This policy provides guidelines for interacting with those who may be experiencing a mental health
or emotional crisis, both during contacts on the street and during interviews and interrogations.
Interaction with such individuals has the potential for miscommunication and violence. It often
requires officers to make difficult judgments about a person's mental state and intent in order to
effectively and legally interact with the individual.
444.1.1 DEFINITIONS
Definitions related to this policy include:
Person in crisis - A person whose level of distress or mental health symptoms have exceeded
the person's internal ability to manage their behavior or emotions. A crisis can be precipitated by
any number of things, including an increase in the symptoms of mental illness despite treatment
compliance; non-compliance with treatment, including a failure to take prescribed medications
appropriately; or any other circumstance or event that causes the person to engage in erratic,
disruptive or dangerous behavior that may be accompanied by impaired judgment.
444.2 POLICY
The Fremont Police Department is committed to providing a consistently high level of service to
all members of the community and recognizes that persons in crisis may benefit from intervention.
The Department will collaborate, where feasible, with mental health professionals to develop an
overall intervention strategy to guide its members' interactions with those experiencing a mental
health crisis, including when to discontinue contact. This is to ensure equitable and safe treatment
of all involved.
444.3 SIGNS
Members should be alert to any of the following possible signs of mental health issues or crises:
(a)A known history of mental illness
(b)Threats of or attempted suicide
(c)Loss of memory
(d)Incoherence, disorientation, or slow response
(e)Delusions, hallucinations, perceptions unrelated to reality, or grandiose ideas
(f)Depression, pronounced feelings of hopelessness or uselessness, extreme sadness
or guilt
(g)Social withdrawal
(h)Manic or impulsive behavior, extreme agitation, lack of control
(i)Lack of fear
(j)Anxiety, aggression, rigidity, inflexibility, or paranoia
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Members should be aware that this list is not exhaustive. The presence or absence of any of these
should not be treated as proof of the presence or absence of a mental health issue or crisis.
444.4 COORDINATION WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND COMMUNITY
SERVICE PROVIDERS
The Chief of Police should designate an appropriate Division Commander or designee to
collaborate with mental health professionals to develop an education and response protocol. It
should include a list of community resources to guide department interaction with those who may
be suffering from mental illness or who appear to be in a mental health crisis.
444.5 FIRST RESPONDERS
Safety is a priority for first responders. It is important to recognize that individuals under the
influence of alcohol, drugs, or both may exhibit symptoms that are similar to those of a person
in a mental health crisis. These individuals may still present a serious threat to officers; such a
threat should be addressed with reasonable tactics. Nothing in this policy shall be construed to
limit officers's authority to use reasonable force to protect themselves or others when interacting
with a person in crisis.
Officers are reminded that mental health issues, mental health crises, and unusual behavior alone
are not criminal offenses. Individuals may benefit from treatment as opposed to incarceration.
An officer responding to a call involving a person in crisis should:
(a)Promptly assess the situation, independent of reported information, and make a
preliminary determination regarding whether a mental health crisis may be a factor.
(b)Request available backup [officers_deputies] and specialized resources as deemed
necessary and, if it is reasonably believed that the person is in a crisis situation,
use conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques to stabilize the incident as
appropriate.
(c)If feasible, and without compromising safety, turn off flashing lights, bright lights, or
sirens.
(d)Attempt to determine if weapons are present or available.
1.Prior to making contact, and whenever possible and reasonable, conduct a
search of the Department of Justice Automated Firearms System via the
California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) to determine
whether the person is the owner of a firearm (Penal Code § 11106.4).
(e)Take into account the person's mental and emotional state and potential inability to
understand commands or to appreciate the consequences of his/her action or inaction,
as perceived by the [officer_deputy].
(f)Secure the scene and clear the immediate area as necessary.
(g)Employ tactics to preserve the safety of all participants.
(h)Determine the nature of any crime.
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(i)Request a supervisor, as warranted.
(j)Evaluate any available information that might assist in determining cause or motivation
for the person's actions or stated intentions. This includes considering information
supplied by family members as directed in Assembly Bill 1424.
(k)If circumstances reasonably permit, consider and employ alternatives to force.
(l)When time permits, officers shall seek supervisor approval before disengaging. If a
situation is rapidly unfolding, and an officer cannot wait for supervisor approval, the
officer