Late Friday afternoon ahead of one of Appleton’s busiest weekends, the Appleton Police Department encountered a suicidal, homicidal person just a few blocks away from an already busy downtown.
Skillfully and compassionately, they negotiated an end to the drama with no injuries to anyone.
The department, currently led by Police Chief Polly Olson, has enjoyed a long association with the National Alliance on Mental Illness. In 2004, the APD became the first department in Wisconsin to participate in Crisis Intervention Team training. Through CIT, officers receive 40 hours of specialized training focused on de-escalation, crisis response, and connecting individuals to appropriate services. According to the NAMI Wisconsin website, the CIT program encourages strong, ongoing relationships among police, mental health providers, individuals with lived experience, and families working together toward shared goals and better outcomes.
I have been privileged to witness the department’s skill in de-escalating traumatic situations and in treating all kinds of people, young and old, with dignity and respect. In addition to resolving conflicts, they show by example how powerful the combination of reason and kindness can be.
All together more than 200,000 people crammed onto College Avenue for Oktoberfest this past sunny Saturday. Beer flowed, wasps buzzed, bands played, dirndl-wearing people danced and officers walked up and down the street. The festivities, which began with License to Cruise Friday night, and included the Farmer’s Market Saturday morning, lasted 15 hours. That is a long time to keep that many people safe and in line, but the APD did. Mingling and chatting, they made their job look easy.
We enjoy so many great festivals here in Appleton and we owe a debt of gratitude to the people who make them happen.
Thanks to a consistent deep pool of volunteers, our area is able to put together a growing list of successful community events, from Mile of Music to Irish Fest and beyond.
Through all of those events, and on ordinary days, the APD has shown up consistently to keep us all safe.
I just thought it might be time to say thanks.
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I commend the APD for their dedication in doing the CIT training, which resulted in the de-escalating of issues such as the one described. Unfortunately, such training doesn’t seem to be mandatory in many police departments as it should be before anyone becomes a police officer. Reason, kindness & professionalism are seriously lacking with more and more forces all over.
I would love to see more agencies follow the APD’s lead.
Thankful a dangerous situation was resolved quickly and safely.