In Tucson, police officers are setting aside their handcuffs and radios for Jenga blocks and tweezers, all in the name of empathy. Pima County Justice Services, collaborating with local law enforcement and health service providers, has recently hosted its first ever Southern Arizona Crisis Response and Intervention Training (CRIT) refresher course, aimed at equipping officers with the tools to better handle encounters with individuals facing mental health challenges. According to
Pima County’s official news report
, the course leverages unconventional methods meant to truly understand those who live with conditions like schizophrenia.
The training exposes officers to simulations that can gradually help to build empathy – a crux of the program’s objective. Officers, wired with headphones that simulate auditory hallucinations, must attempt to focus on simple tasks, like playing games, while being bombarded with distractions. These exercises are designed to replicate some of the sensory challenges those with mental health issues might face daily. Diana Lobos, crisis intervention team coordinator, mentioned the goal is “to build empathy by helping us understand the struggles or strengths of someone dealing with hearing voices,” as reported by the
county news release
.
The exercises prove challenging even for the toughest members of the force. With each officer absorbed in the games and the voices in their ears, they gained a direct insight into what it might feel to uncontrollably hear distressing things. The training’s impact was pronounced, with one participant, John Ottinger, a community service officer, confessing he found himself trying to lower the volume of the intrusive voices, only to realize he couldn’t – drawing parallels to the real experiences of those they might encounter. “I bet they wish they could turn those voices down, too,” he said in a
county news interview
.
With a drive to maintain current best practices and respond to feedback from the field, the CRIT program engages various resources to provide a meaningful training experience. After all, it’s a community effort as Lobos pointed out, crediting “the hard work of the CRIT team and their partners” for the success of the course. Officers like Jeff VanNorman of TPD recognize that even with experience, “a good refresher is still valuable,”
Pima County
stated.
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