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In Police1’s 2025 “What Cops Want” survey, mental health calls ranked as the No. 1 officer safety concern, surpassing domestic violence, active shooter threats and traffic stops. Officers made clear what they need: better CIT training, more co-responder options and operational changes that keep them — and the people they serve — safer.
This webinar examines how departments can respond to those calls for change. Our panel will cover what effective alternative response models look like, how to make crisis training more practical and relevant, and what tactics can improve safety during high-risk encounters. Designed for patrol officers and agency leaders, this session offers actionable steps to evolve police response to mental health crisis calls, prioritizing both officer and community safety.
Attend this webinar to:
- Examine why officers rank mental health calls as their top safety concern
- Review alternative response models and when they improve outcomes
- Identify ways to strengthen CIT training and reinforce skills in the field
- Learn officer safety tactics specific to mental health encounters
- Understand leadership’s role in aligning resources, training and policy
ABOUT OUR PANEL
James Dudley is a 32-year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department where he retired as deputy chief of the Patrol Bureau. He has served as the DC of Special Operations and Liaison to the Department of Emergency Management where he served as Event and Incident Commander for a variety of incidents, operations and emergencies. He has a Master’s degree in Criminology and Social Ecology from the University of California at Irvine. He is currently a member of the Criminal Justice faculty at San Francisco State University, consults on organizational assessments for LE agencies and hosts the Policing Matters podcast for Police1.
Ernest (Ernie) Stevens is a published author with a #1 best-selling book on Amazon titled “Mental Health and De-escalation: A Guide for Law Enforcement Professionals.” Ernie was also a contributing author for Police Mental Barricade. Ernie was a police officer for 28 years, serving 26 of those years with the San Antonio Police Department, where he was a founding member of the Mental Health Unit. Ernie has been featured on the Emmy award-winning HBO Documentary, “Ernie and Joe: Crisis Cops.” He has also been featured in NBC’s documentary, “A Different Kind of Force.” Ernie was interviewed by ABC’s Nightline’s Byron Pitts and featured on officers trained to respond to mental illness calls. Ernie has been featured in over 40 publications and is deemed an expert in Crisis Intervention Training.
Currently, Ernie serves as Deputy Division Director, Behavioral Health, for the Council of State Governments. He oversees the portfolio of work focused on improving outcomes for people experiencing behavioral health conditions and homelessness who encounter law enforcement, and supports communities in adopting, implementing and evaluating new practices.