Officers training to help with people battling mental illness in Salinas

Law enforcement handling of mental health situations is a big topic of discussion. On Tuesday, NewsChannel 5 found out how the Salinas Police Department is preparing for these type of situations.

Monday night, police were able to stop a suicidal man from hurting himself and others. Officers responded to a call from the girlfriend of a young male reporting that her boyfriend was in the cemetery behind a church and was suicidal. Officers arrived and found the man sitting in the cemetery with a 5″ hunting knife to his throat.

Authorities were no stranger to the man or even this location. It was just over a year ago he did the exact same thing right here. Commander Sheldon Bryan responded both times, so he knew what to expect.

The department said 78 percent of its force is trained in crisis intervention. It was one of those officers, with the help of the county’s Behavioral Crisis team that brought about a peaceful ending. Officers are taught about the different mental illnesses, including the medications used for treatment, and signs of misuse look like.

“You can set a person off just by using the wrong word or the wrong tone,” Cmdr. Bryan said. “Folks can perceive judgement and become very upset with the officer.”

In fact, during Monday’s incident, responding officers were instructed not to use their lights or sirens.

“Folks with schizophrenia are going to respond differently than folks who are depressed or bipolar,” Cmdr. Bryan said.

Crisis team members have been accompanying police to calls involving mental health, advising them on ways to handle the situation peacefully. It’s a critical role that has been successful for police. But police know, every call is different.

“It’s an example of how we can respond when we have time to negotiate with the man and he’s not posing a threat,” Cmdr. Bryan said. “When we have to respond and react to a violent encounter that is in progress, it’s a completely different animal. And this one played out and worked perfectly just like it had last year.”

After 70 minutes, the man peacefully surrendered. He was taken to the hospital for evaluation. Last year’s standoff was a little different. It lasted for an hour and a half, with the man threatening to charge officers with a knife.

“When we are confronted with a suicide by cop situation,” Cmdr. Bryan explained, “It becomes increasingly dangerous for both parties and none of the officers on the scene want to engage in that.”