In the light of the recent shooting incident at the Homer Airport, combined with the town hall meeting scheduled for March 15, it seems an opportune time to suggest that we reach out to the Anchorage Police Department to see what it would take to have all Homer Police Department officers trained for Crisis Intervention Team. At a bare minimum, one supervisor per shift should be trained. The marshals involved would be well served to have this training too through their chain of command.

This 40-hour training program used for Anchorage is based on national training curriculum and proven experience starting in Memphis. APD Sgt. Mike Courturier is on the Crisis Intervention Team and has been a great asset to his department and has made many presentations to interested parties. There are CIT supervisors on all shifts, and an increasing number of front line officers trained. In 2004 Sgt. Courturier reported that 102 police officers, dispatchers, probation officers and others have received training to handle situations where there may be mental health problems. The result is public safety, not just apprehension of a dangerous person.

The state police academy training is good, but the extra support by officers who have been in the field with this program is better. It was clear in Anchorage that “suicide by cop” was taking place, which seems a bit of a parallel to our recent experience. Unfortunately, children were also involved. As reported in the newspapers, it seems the person shot was a true criminal. However, it is also clear to me that with the crowds around at the airport a different approach may have worked to keep public safety at the forefront.

 Scot L. Wheat