The Thin Blue Lifeline

In this comprehensive guidebook, Amdur and Hutchings offer law enforcement officers a comprehensive set of strategies to keep themselves as well as the general public safe, while functioning at the highest level of professionalism when dealing with people suffering from mental illness.The 1st section is tactical: field safety and strategic planning on one side, to honing your intuition to pick up early signs of danger on the other. Then the authors focus on what we can do to achieve a...
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In this comprehensive guidebook, Amdur and Hutchings offer law enforcement officers a comprehensive set of strategies to keep themselves as well as the general public safe, while functioning at the highest level of professionalism when dealing with people suffering from mental illness.The 1st section is tactical: field safety and strategic planning on one side, to honing your intuition to pick up early signs of danger on the other. Then the authors focus on what we can do to achieve a state of powerful calm. They offer specific strategies, including a method of breathing for the purpose of maintaining one's own center in crisis situations.They then discuss specific behaviors ranging from confusion and obsessive concerns to psychosis, mania and acute disorganization. They discuss interactions with opportunistic and manipulative individuals (at worst, those referred to as psychopaths), people who present a danger to the psychological and physical well-being of anyone with whom they come in contact.Amdur and Hutchings do not merely confine themselves to the important subject of despondent suicidal individuals who attempt to kill themselves. They also offer strategic interventions for parasuicidal' individuals, those who either threaten to harm themselves, or repetitively do so, requiring almost constant involvement of police, hospitals and the mental health system. In one very important chapter, the authors discuss 'suicide-by-cop.' They then move on to a discussion of anger and potentially violent behavior, whether directed at law enforcement officers or others. The authors give succinct information on how to imme- diately recognize different modes of aggression, whether displayed by adults, youth, or children, and then outline how to quickly and effectively implement de-escalation or control tactics best suited to deal with the type of aggression one is facing. The Thin Blue Lifeline is tactically based, from start to finish. This book can function as the foundation of any law enforcement Crisis Intervention Team program, providing a comprehensive course of study of 'boots-on-the-ground' encounters with emotionally disturbed individuals. In the same vein, the information in this volume provides core information on communication, which will be invaluable to any crisis/hostage negotiation team.