Year after fatal shooting, NYPD training to deal with mentally ill

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - A year has passed since an NYPD sergeant shot and killed an emotionally disturbed woman inside her apartment in the Bronx. That confrontation led to a lot questions about how the police department deals with the mentally ill.

Since the fatal shooting of Deborah Danner, the NYPD has reshaped its training by doubling down on what is known as crisis intervention training, which emphasizes the skills needed deescalate. But some think more can be done.

Carla Rabinowitz an advocate with Community Access, a nonprofit that helps people with mental health concerns. She said the good news is that the NYPD is implementing CIT, which teaches officers how to interact with people with mental health issues.

She is part of a group holding a rally Wednesday at City Hall to draw attention and push for changes related to how police handle emotionally disturbed people. The rally coincides with the first anniversary of Danner's death. Danner had a history of mental health issues.

The sergeant who shot her was charged with murder and manslaughter.

Other cities have adopted approaches that include using social workers, psychologists, or peers to show up on the scene and in some cases even ride with police.

Rabinowitz said the newer training is good but challenges included getting officers trained in crisis intervention training to these incidents.