In an effort to prepare deputies for a major crisis that may come their way, the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office is getting ahead of the game.
The agency recently had four deputies successfully complete an intense 40 hours of Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), conducted by the Florida Sheriff’s Association at the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Anglie Hightower, the training is “vital in the fostering of relationships between law enforcement, mental health providers, hospital emergency departments and individuals with mental illnesses and their families to improve responses to people in crisis.”
The Crisis Interventions Team aids in the ability to communicate effectively with the disabled, mental health resources for assisting people in crisis and ensures that deputies are trained to support.
Training Coordinator Capt. Bobby Collins said the training is a “very important component needed to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the mental health community.”
Gadsden County is implementing the training for every deputy.
Special to the Herald
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