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Laredo disability committee seeks expanded crisis-intervention training for officers, schedules special meeting with police
Summary
Committee members called for more law-enforcement crisis-intervention training (CIT), discussed barriers such as overtime and staffing, recommended budgeting for certification, and agreed to hold a special meeting with the police training division within about two weeks.
Members of the Laredo Board/Advisory Committee on Disabilities spent substantial time discussing options to expand crisis-intervention training for law enforcement officers and to ensure trained officers are available across shifts.
Dr. Casid, representing a local autism advocacy group, told the committee the group has worked with the Laredo Police Department’s mental-health partners and has delivered training in the police academy and to patrol units. “We have been training…we have a relationship where we go and we train their officers,” Dr. Casid said, describing past academy sessions and outreach with Officer Vavalos and the department’s mental-health division.
Committee members reviewed two models of training: a shorter academy module (historically 16 hours) and a longer, role-play–based course of about 40 hours that includes hands-on de-escalation practice. One committee member said 16 hours has been judged insufficient and highlighted the value of the longer 40-hour program. Members identified two recurring barriers: operational staffing (departments cannot easily pull many officers from patrol) and funding for overtime or outside certification.
Members recommended making CIT training and officer certification a specific objective in the BRC strategic plan and suggested approaching the city council to request budgeted funds for expanded training. The committee agreed to seek a meeting with the police training division. The committee moved to schedule a special call meeting in roughly two weeks so members and police training staff could meet and discuss training scope, scheduling, and possible city funding before the next budget-planning cycle.
Why it matters: More officers trained in crisis intervention could reduce escalations during encounters with people who have developmental or mental-health conditions. Committee members argued training, certification, and budgeted support would make such coverage sustainable across shifts.
Next steps: Staff will coordinate with the police training contact named in the meeting (identified in the transcript as Hernandez) and with department representatives to set the special meeting date and to prepare a recommendation for council funding as part of the next budget cycle.
