The Role of Police Education in Handling Cases of Mental Disorder

Abstract

This article considers the impact of police officers' education in relation to a single type of"critical incident," one in which suspects appeared to be mentally ill. Data are taken from interviews of officers with three different levels of education: high school only, some college or university, and a university degree. The research considers whether officers with different educational levels reported handling cases differently, after controlling for officers' gender, age, and experience, in addition to suspect- and incident-specific factors, including substance abuse and the psychiatric criteria for referral for mental health evaluation. The incident outcome is used as the dependent variable, with possible outcomes including arrest, psychiatric referral, or informal resolution to the incident. Findings indicate that education significantly influenced reported dispositions, with university-educated officers more likely to report the use of a psychiatric referral than officers with other educational backgrounds.

Police Discretion and Encounters With People Experiencing Mental Illness

“…This suggests that depending on the symptoms exhibited by a person experiencing mental illness, these negative characteristics might also be associated with restrictive outcomes. These findings are consistent with previous research that found that police officer decision making was related to inferences regarding a suspect's dangerousness and, furthermore, officers' endorsement of restrictive treatment options (LaGrange, 2003;Watson et al, 2004). Similarly, Mendias and Kehoe (2006) reported that officers who believe their role is primarily to enforce the law will be more likely to resort to arrest.…”

“…Also of interest to researchers have been offenders' mental state, gender, and race (Finn & Stalans, 1997;Smith, Visher, & Davidson, 1984) and the knowledge, exp erience, and education of police officers regarding working with people who are mentally ill (Green, 1997;LaGrange, 2003;Patch & Arrigo, 1999;Teplin, 2000;Watson, Corrigan, & Ottati, 2004). More recently, researchers have become interested in the influence of police officers' attitudes regarding mental illness.…”

People in Crisis: Understanding the Impact of a Mental Health Response Unit on Police Culture

“…An integral element of policing-in both enforcement based and community based response models-is responding to PIC. Many academic studies have identified that frontline police officers acknowledge that responding to PIC is a significant part of their job (Borum et al, 1998;Hartford et al, 2006;Cooper et al, 2004;Cotton, 2004;Godfredson et al, 2011;LaGrange, 2003;Sellers et al, 2005;Senior et al, 2014). Borum and colleagues (1998) characterise this increased attention to responding to PIC as the 'quiet revolution' in policing.…”

“…One of the most important factors to consider when discussing police-based responses to PIC is the amount of training officers receive. The academic literature consistently argues that police officers do not feel adequately trained to respond to the needs of PIC (Bittner, 1967;Borum et al, 1998;Cooper et al, 2004;Cotton, 2004;Godfredson et al, 2011;Hails & Borum, 2003;Hartford et al, 2006;LaGrange, 2003;Sellers et al, 2005Senior et al, 2014. In addition, Senior and colleagues (2014) report that officers felt there were little or no opportunities to update or learn new skills once they are operational (i.e., in the field responding to PIC).…”

“…It is reasonable to suspect that prior to the development and implementation of MHUs, the public perceived police responses to PIC as illegitimate. This may be a result of the lack of training police officers receive regarding mental illness (Bittner, 1967;Borum, Deane, Steadman, & Morrissey, 1998;Hartford, Carey, & Mendonca, 2006;Cooper, McLearen, & Zapf, 2004;Cotton, 2004;Godfredson, Thomas, Ogloff, & Luebbers, 2011;Hails & Borum, 2003;LaGrange, 2003;Senior, Noga, & Shaw, 2014;Sellers, Sullivan, Veysey, & Shane, 2005), or the negative interactions police have had with PIC in the past. The police often assume PIC are more prone to violence and believe they may need to respond more aggressively, which explains the academic literatures' consensus regarding the notion that those suffering from mental illness are disproportionately victims of violence at the hands of the police (Coleman & Cotton, 2014;Watson, Corrigan, & Ottati, 2004).…”