The Hawaiʻi County Police Department (HPD) announced the addition of 10 new officers to its Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) following a rigorous 40-hour training in Hilo.

CIT is a groundbreaking approach to police-based crisis intervention, which involves collaboration between law enforcement, mental health providers, and community advocates to provide specialized training for officers.

The training, which equips officers with the skills to de-escalate situations involving individuals experiencing mental health crisis, was expanded to include not only Hawai‘i County Police Department officers but also three deputies from the State of Hawaiʻi Sheriff’s Division, three officers from the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, and two Police Communications Officers from the HPD Communications Dispatch Section.

This was the fifth CIT training course held on the Big Island, sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Hawaiʻi), the Hawaiʻi State Rural Health Association, the Hawai‘i Police Department, and the Mayor’s Office. A similar training was held in Kona earlier this year with 12 Hawai‘i Police Department personnel completing CIT training.

The Hawai‘i County Police Department now boasts 77 CIT-certified officers, representing 18 percent of its sworn personnel.

HPD Photo