Increase mental health training requirements for Georgia Police Officers
Police officers are often first responders to a large number of mental health crisis calls, regardless, officers receive little formal training in mental health conditions. To become an officer in Georgia, over 408 hours of course training is required, with only 4 hours on mental health and none of which teach effective de-escalation techniques and strategies.1A lack of formal training and awareness about mental health issues has resulted in unnecessary, officer-civilian fatalities. 2 In 2017 alone, there were over 1,000 civilians shot and killed by police officers, although not all were mentally ill, greater awareness could decrease the rising rates of officer shootings. 3 In an effort to strengthen community trust and enable officers to serve their intended purpose, mental health training should be a foundational aspect of officer training and continued throughout the duration of service.
Police officers serve the purpose of enforcing the law and protecting the lives and safety of civilians. When officers are unable to assess an individual’s mental health condition and respond to mental health-related behavior with violence, civilian trust in protective services is severally damaged. Citizens have the right to know their communities and families will be protected and treated justly by law enforcement officers and should advocate for stricter training starting at a county level.

By not providing police officers with formal mental health training, they are unable to respond appropriately to crisis calls and place themselves in danger. Officers hold a difficult and noble job; unprepared officers enter risky and hostile situations relying on armed force rather than proven effective techniques to protect themselves. Those in authority positions in law enforcement hold perhaps the most significant power in the situation as they are able to make systemic changes within the system.
Researching mental health training for police officers is a topic that has publicly received significant attention in recent years. Both political parties support the idea of greater mental health training for police officers in order to decrease civilian fatalities. Research has shown that incorporating mental health training is effective, specifically for targeted populations. 4 Further policy research could address this issue at either a county or state level by proposing an implementation of evidence-based practices.
Footnotes:
[1] Basic Law Enforcement Training Program. (n.d.). Retrieved September 04, 2018, from https://www.gpstc.org/about-gpstc/training-divisions/basic-training-division/basic-police-officer-training/
2 Fatal Force: 2018 police shootings database. (2018, August 30). Retrieved September 04, 2018, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/police-shootings-2018/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.913a90a9a6fb
3 Sullivan, J. (2018, January 06). Nationwide, police shot and killed nearly 1,000 people in 2017. Retrieved September 03, 2018, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/nationwide-police-shot-and-killed-nearly-1000-people-in-2017/2018/01/04/4eed5f34-e4e9-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html?utm_term=.45f22b661ed7
4 Scantlebury, A., Fairhurst, C., Booth, A., McDaid, C., Moran, N., Parker, A., … Hewitt, C. (2017). Effectiveness of a training program for police officers who come into contact with people with mental health problems: A pragmatic randomised controlled trial. PLoS ONE, 12(9), e0184377. http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0184377