Bend police learn how to respond to crisis situations

Nurses, deputies and police officers from throughout Oregon came together this week in Bend for Crisis Incident Training, which helps police better understand the stress and emotions someone may be going through when they call 911 or are confronted by police.

Officers focused on the importance of active listening and how officers can build a rapport with someone going through a crisis — a challenge many officers face, as they are often viewed as the “bad guys.”

The police don’t get calls when everything is going right in people’s lives, they are called in on the tough days. Officers are constantly dealing with people who are sad, mad, or scared.

To give officers the tools needed to tackle these tough calls, Bend police school resource officer Chris Stoaks teaches a week long de-escalation course.

“We are emotional beings, every single one of us, and people in crisis are experiencing extreme emotions,” Stoaks said. The CIT course teaches officers how to help others get their emotions under control, so they are able to make rational decisions.”

Bend Officer Kyle Denney added, “When someone is in some sort of mental health crisis or experiencing a lot of psychosis and we get called out, it gives us some tools as law enforcement officers and first responders to helps de-escalate those folks and better understand where they’re coming from.”

On Thursday and Friday, police will be doing crisis simulations with mental health workers. They will also learn how to direct people in crisis to the resources they need, helping reduce repeat calls, and making for a safer community.

Currently, over half of the Bend Police Department has undergone CIT, but the department is working to make sure every officer is trained in the near future.