New Jersey changes use-of-force policy, requiring cops to collaborate with mental health professionals in crisis calls.

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced a change in the state's use-of-force policy, requiring police to collaborate with mental health professionals when responding to calls involving barricaded individuals experiencing mental health crises. The new statewide policy, the first of its kind, mandates tactical teams to be trained in crisis negotiation and aims to slow and stabilize tense standoffs, providing officers with tools to navigate the first minutes of encounters without using force. The changes come after a series of fatal police shootings of individuals in mental health crises.

August 22, 2024
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