Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff David O. Livingston Sheriff - Coroner July 27, 2017 VIA Email and US Mail Jim*

R1

The Sheriff should consider broadening and enhancing CIT training to educate all law enforcement officers. The recommendation has been implemented. The Office of the Sheriff Training Division recently obtained certification from the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) to present an eight-hour Crisis Intervention and De-Escalation Techniques course for peace officers. To date, Field Training Officers from the Office of the Sheriff have successfully completed the training pursuant to a new P.O.S.T. requirement. Additionally, the course has been included in this year's Advanced Officer training cycle and classes will continue to be offered for peace officers within the county. The County has also updated its 32-hour "Crisis Response Team, First Responder" Course. This course is a more in-depth look at mental health issues, intellectual disabilities, substance abuse disorders, cross-cultural sensitivity issues, and tactical communication.

R2

The Sheriff should consider coordinating with the Contra Costa Police Chief's Association in their effort to create additional CIT training in the County. The recommendation has been implemented. The Office of the Sheriff Training Division recently obtained certification from the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) to present an eight-hour Crisis Intervention and De-Escalation Techniques course for sworn personnel. The Police Chief's Association has been advised the class will continue to be offered to outside agencies as well. The Office of the Sheriff will also be seeking assistance from agencies with in the County via the Chiefs' Association to recruit and train a broad cross section of instructors in order to enhance agency effectiveness when responding to mental health issues.

R3

The Sheriff should consider researching methods to document the effectiveness of CIT training, and identifying funds to do so. The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented within three months. According to subject matter experts, any attempt to review incidents involving law enforcement contact with persons in mental health crisis to measure the effectiveness of CIT training would lead to a specious result, as each incident is directly influenced by numerous variables. These variables include: the time available to make decisions, whether the induvial poses an immediate threat to deputies or others, whether they are actively resisting or attempting to evade arrest by flight, the number of deputies present, the proximity to potential weapons, age, size and strength compared to deputies, special knowledge or skills, the deputy's exhaustion or injury, known facts about the individual's drug use or mental state, knowledge or prior contacts, the opportunity to give warning or try and establish a dialog with the subject, other subjects present, and environmental factors. However, the effectiveness of CIT training may be compared in the classroom. For example, deputies and officers attending CIT training are exposed to a training scenario at the beginning of the class which provides instructors with a baseline understanding of the student's ability. The results could be compared to similar training scenarios conducted at the completion of the training class to determine the efficacy of the training provided. No funding has been allocated by the Board of Supervisors, notwithstanding the concerns noted above, the Office of the Sheriff will continue to research methods of documenting the effectiveness of CIT training and will work with the County and State to seek additional funding to support research, documentation, and training. Additionally, the use of trained Health Services mental health professionals in the training classes cannot be overstated, as these professionals are critical to the success of the course and their participation is a P.O.S.T. requirement.

R4

The Sheriff should consider providing annual updates of CIT training course materials to police departments, and identifying funds to do so. The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted. The Office of the Sheriff will update the Crisis Intervention and De-escalation Techniques course annually pursuant to P.O.S.T. requirements. The class will be offered year-round at the Sheriff's Training Center for all peace officers in the County.

R5

The Sheriff should consider conducting a feasibility study to determine the benefits of establishing additional MHET teams. The recommendation has not been implemented, but will be implemented if the appropriate funding is provided by the County. The Office of the Sheriff has requested from the County the last two budget years (FY 16/17 & 17/18) to fund three additional Deputy Sheriff positions to staff the Mental Health Evaluation Team (MHET); one in West County, Central County and East County. The County did not approve the funding for the 3 MHET deputies.