Policing Matters

Managing police officers is a difficult task since the job is so multi-faceted and often fast-paced. We ask officers to do so many things, and in the process to be smart, thoughtful, judicious, efficient and thorough. Some people make assumptions that an officer has complete control over their environment. Of course, this is not true. Officers can be well trained, yet may be challenged in dealing with individuals under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or in a mental health crisis. They are often asked to go into situations where people are in conflict or combative. In these cases, de-escalation may only be a theory, rather than an achievable act. Many agencies use a system to help detect problems by looking at statistics accumulated in an early intervention system. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Chief Robert McNeilly, Jr., about how an early intervention system can work best for agencies, officers and communities. During Chief McNeilly's 37-year career, he guided the Pittsbur