Dauphin County Crisis Intervention Team Grows to Nearly 200 with Recent Graduation

Twenty-three (23) people recently graduated Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training and will assist those with mental health needs on emergency/police calls in Dauphin County.

The recent class brings the total number of CIT-trained officers and specialists in Dauphin County to 193.

CIT training is part of the county’s Stepping Up initiative, a progressive approach to law enforcement contacts with persons with mental illness. The program prioritizes treatment and other non-incarceration methods when appropriate.

“Our force of CIT specialists is growing, and that makes us even more capable of dealing with emotional emergency calls,” Dauphin County Commissioner George P. Hartwick, III said.

Of the 193 CIT-trained specialists, 154 are police officers – the others work with probation, Dauphin County Prison, Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office, and Crisis Intervention.

“The previous methods of arrest and a prison cell for these encounters are not fits-all solutions,” Dauphin County Commissioner Chair Mike Pries said. “This training adds de-escalation tools to the box for officers in the field.”

The Stepping Up initiative involves collaboration from many offices, agencies, and departments.

“That has been the key to Stepping Up being successful in Dauphin County,” Commissioner Chad Saylor said. “We have buy-in from the police, district attorney, the courts and judges – it really is across the board commitment and collaboration.”

The next CIT graduation ceremony is scheduled for December.

MEDIA CONTACT: Brett Hambright, Press Secretary, 717-780-6311; bhambright@dauphinc.org.