The Big Island's police force is enhancing its response to mental health crises by adding 10 new officers to its Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). This increases the total number of CIT-trained personnel in the Hawaiʻi Police Department (HPD) to 77, representing about 18 percent of its sworn officers, according to a Hawaiʻi Police Department release.
These latest additions have undergone a strenuous 40-hour training program in Hilo, which concluded with a ceremony on October 18. The officers were not just from the local police ranks but included three deputies from the State of Hawaiʻi Sheriff’s Division, three officers from the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, and two Police Communications Officers from the HPD Communications Dispatch Section.
The program, which received support from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Hawaiʻi), the Hawaiʻi State Rural Health Association, and the Mayor’s Office, aims to teach officers how to de-escalate situations involving individuals experiencing mental health crises. Earlier this year, similar efforts were made in Kona, where 12 HPD personnel completed CIT training.
CIT represents a collaborative method of crisis response, bringing together law enforcement, mental health providers, and community advocates to advance specialized training and open communication lines for officers when they handle sensitive and potentially volatile situations. This approach has been shown to reduce use of force and, according to studies, improve the safety of both the officers and individuals in crisis, while also strengthening the relationship between law enforcement and local communities.
