Oregon Agency's New Mental Health Crisis Response Policy Urges De-escalation

The Portland (Ore.) Police Bureau has drafted a much-expanded policy that stresses the need for officers to recognize behaviors "characteristic'' of mental illness and safely de-escalate encounters, reports the Oregonian .

The new "Mental Health Crisis Response'' directive requires officers to use special skills to avoid unnecessary violence and potential civil liability.

The mental crisis response policy follows a federal judge's approval last summer of a negotiated settlement between the city of Portland and the U.S. Department of Justice that required changes to Portland police policies, training and oversight. The settlement stemmed from a federal investigation that found police had a pattern of using excessive force against people with mental illness or people perceived to have a mental illness.

In deciding how to respond to a call involving someone suffering a mental health crisis, officers are given response options, including not engaging with the person, walking away from a call, or delaying taking the person into custody if police can return at a safer time.