What best describes Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) in policing?

• A. A program that trains officers to pursue suspects aggressively.
• B. A specialized training program that improves de-escalation and linkages to mental-health services for crisis situations.
• C. A protocol for collecting digital evidence at crisis scenes.
• D. A method for performing medical triage at the scene.

Answer: (B)

Crisis Intervention Team training focuses on safely resolving encounters with individuals in mental health crises by emphasizing de-escalation, calm and effective communication, and the ability to assess risk. It teaches officers to recognize signs of mental illness, reduce the likelihood of force, and connect people to appropriate mental-health services rather than defaulting to arrest. The value lies in building partnerships with mental health professionals and mobile crisis teams so crisis calls are routed toward treatment options when possible, improving outcomes for the person in crisis and overall community safety. This approach is not about pursuing suspects aggressively, collecting digital evidence at crisis scenes, or performing medical triage; those are separate functions.