On the Line: Public Safety Risk Management: 2022 Safety and Loss Control Workshops

The 2022 Spring Safety and Loss Control Workshops kicked off this past week in Bemidji and Alexandria! It was certainly nice to get back to meeting in person with our members.

Bill Everett presenting on the best
practices in police mental health
crisis response.

The morning police track started with a session on the liability of police pursuits and emergency vehicle operation. Police pursuits are on the rise in Minnesota and require an officer to make rapid decisions that can place an officer and the public at risk. A well-written pursuit policy, supervisor responsibilities, and training are all important considerations to reduce your agency’s liabilities and ensure the safety of the public, the police officers involved, and the driver and occupants of the vehicle being pursued.

The morning continues with a session on best practices for police mental health crisis response. Estimates hold that between six and ten percent of all police calls involve someone with a serious mental illness. Officers can learn how to assess what mental health crisis call response is right for their community, given the available resources. In 2021, the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association, and the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust brought a stakeholder group together to discuss these best practices, which range from co-responder teams, mobile crisis response teams, embedded mental health professionals, and police-only programs.

Commander Brett Mushatt of the St. Cloud Police
Dept. presenting on the importance of peer support
for our public safety personnel.

The day concludes with an afternoon session on the importance of peer support for our public safety personnel. Peer support programs with trained colleagues that know how to provide psychological first aid can help deliver important emotional support that fellow public safety personnel may need during times of personal or professional crisis. Participants learned the benefits of peer support and the basics of creating a peer support program in their agencies.

The Spring Safety and Loss Control Workshops will continue to travel across the state in the coming weeks. The $20 registration fee includes course materials, snacks, and a lunch. Select one of the schedule dates below if you want to register for the six credits of POST-approved police training:

If you have any questions or comments, you may contact me at tstille@lmc.org or give me a phone call at (651) 215-4051.

Remember: Responder Safety = Public Safety

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful -

Tracy