#Police deal with the situations of law and order, and they aid in the protection of the public at their most vulnerable moments. De-escalating situations involving those who are experiencing mental health issues requires much skill and training. Due to the nature of unpredictability and potential for danger in these situations (which may be more than those without police training would be able to handle by themselves), the best solution is to keep police as the first responders, and to ensure that they receive the proper training to handle mental-health-related calls.

Helping someone going through any mental illness is a work of expertise. One has to be understanding, empathetic, and hyper-aware. As it currently stands, most can agree that police lack the necessary training to fully, properly assist in mental health crises. The introduction of proper training programs is sure to bring about meaningful change. Officers will be more equipped with de-escalation and calming techniques that will lead to more lives saved. This step will also hopefully narrow the gap of understanding between civilians and police in general. Police can be intimidating for people, and introducing programs that will place specific emphasis on empathy and understanding will hopefully counteract negative stigmas and rebuild trust in the civilian-police relationship.

The city of Tampa would be moving in the right direction by providing proper mental-health training for its police department. Hopefully this will inspire other cities to follow in its path. Proper training for police will benefit the citizens who deal with mental health issues by prioritizing and ensuring their safety and wellbeing. It will also benefit the police, who will be strengthened in a well-rounded manner. It is simply not enough for them to arrive as back-up. They should be the first ones on the scene, so long as they are sufficiently equipped to handle the situation.