Persons with mental illnesses, drug or alcohol addictions, or disorders
such as autism can present police officers with difficult challenges. In
some cases, a person may brandish a weapon or otherwise appear to pose a
threat to the public, to the police, or to himself or herself. The
threat may be a real one, or the situation may be less dangerous that it
appears, and often it is difficult to assess the level of danger. These
situations become more complicated when, because of their conditions,
persons cannot communicate effectively with police officers. This course
provides the necessary training in addressing the nature of the
challenges and providing promising solutions.