The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program is a community partnership of law enforcement, mental health and addiction professionals, people who live with mental illness and/or addiction disorders, their families and other advocates. It is an innovative community response model designed to help those in crisis access treatment for improved outcomes. CIT improves communication, identifies resources for those in crisis and promotes officer and community safety. Our department sends officers to basic CIT training and some officers attend advanced classes that focus on specific mental health areas, including youth, veterans, Alzheimer's and autism. The team effort is rounded out with our CIT trained 911 dispatchers.
The Liberty Police Department began sending officers to CIT training in 2008. LPD sends officers to a 40 hour comprehensive basic CIT training. Once their initial training is completed, CIT officers wear a special pin on their uniforms so they are easily identifiable.