Training Police in Family Crisis Intervention

Abstract

A program of family crisis intervention training for police, adapted from that implemented in New York City by Bard (1970), was conducted and evaluated. Twelve officers were given five to six hours of training, five days a week, for five weeks. Officers were then assigned to regular duties. Questionnaire responses from officers four months into the project indicated increased understanding of family problems, greater acceptance of them by citizens, heightened receptivity to their suggestions, a decrease in the use of force, and an increase in overall effectiveness. Telephone interviews showed that citizens dealt with by trained officers, as compared to those dealt with by untrained officers, reported greater rapport between themselves and officers, greater involvement of officers, more satisfaction with the intervention, and an increased regard for the police.