How Does Violence Potential Relate to Crisis Intervention Team Responses to Emergencies?

This study explored whether a crisis intervention team promotes public safety & diversion from jail to treatment. 655 police reports from Las Vegas, Nevada for events occurring between March 2003-May 2005 were analyzed. Some 45% of events involved suicide crises, 26% involved a threat to others, & average violence potential ratings suggested minor to moderate risk. 74% of events were resolved through hospitalization. Although the study lacked a comparison group, results are consistent with other research. (15 refs.)