Policy Text
Policy
464Mountain View Police Department
Mountain View PD Policy Manual
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2020/05/28, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Mountain View Police
DepartmentCrisis Intervention Incidents - 1Crisis Intervention Incidents
464.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
This policy provides guidelines for interacting with those who may be experiencing a mental health
or emotional crisis. Interaction with such individuals has the potential for miscommunication and
violence. It often requires an officer to quickly make difficult judgments about a person’s mental
state and intent in order to effectively and legally interact with the individual.
464.1.1 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 his/her behavior or emotions. A crisis can be precipitated
by any number of things, including, but not limited to, 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.
464.2 POLICY
The Mountain View 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. This is to ensure equitable and safe treatment of all involved.
464.3 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
Mountain View Police Department
Mountain View PD Policy Manual
Crisis Intervention Incidents
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2020/05/28, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Mountain View Police
DepartmentCrisis Intervention Incidents - 2Members 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.
464.4 COORDINATION WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
The Police Chief should designate an appropriate Captainor 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.
464.5 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 behaviors 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 an
officer’s authority to use reasonable force 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 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 registered 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.
(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.
(i)Determine if the person is a danger to themselves or others, or is gravely disabled
(See MVPD Policy 417).
(j)Request a supervisor, as warranted.
Mountain View Police Department
Mountain View PD Policy Manual
Crisis Intervention Incidents
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2020/05/28, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Mountain View Police
DepartmentCrisis Intervention Incidents - 3(k)Evaluate any available information that might assist in determining cause or motivation
for the person’s actions or stated intentions.
(l)If circumstances reasonably permit, consider and employ alternatives to force.
464.6 DE-ESCALATION
Officers should consider that taking no