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E.P.P. 068 LONGWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT ENFORCEMENT POLICY & PROCEDURE NUMBER: EPP – 68 SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO SUICIDAL SUBJECTS EFFECTIVE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2025 REVISED: ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE RESPONSE TO SUICIDAL SUBJECTS EPP – 68 Page 1 of 8 I. PURPOSE: The purpose of this policy is to provide general guidelines in responding to suicidal individuals. It is designed to be followed in conjunction with EPP-23 Crisis Intervention Procedures. II. SCOPE: The sanctity of life is central where a person suicidal and/or is emotionally distraught. The Longwood Police Department recognizes and respects the value of all human life and dignity without prejudice to anyone. It is the policy of the Longwood Police Department that all members will offer assistance to suicidal subjects when practical and without unnecessarily putting officers or citizens at risk. III. DEFINITIONS: A. Disengage/Disengagement The act of demobilizing initial response engagement resources and discontinuing further efforts to communicate with the subject who has not committed a crime and refuses to communicate with public safety personnel. Disengagement may also occur when suicidal tendencies have not been reasonably confirmed. B. Facility Any hospital, community facility, public or private facility, or receiving or treatment facility providing for the evaluation, diagnosis, care, treatment, training, or hospitalization of persons who appear to have or who have been diagnosed as having a mental illness or substance abuse impairment. C. Follow-up Engagement ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE RESPONSE TO SUICIDAL SUBJECTS EPP – 68 Page 2 of 8 A plan and appropriate resources to eventually make contact with and/or provide the necessary resources to the suicidal subject. D. Initial Response Engagement The scope of the initial response engagement is to establish communication with the suicidal subject and utilize public safety resources to peacefully resolve the situation and provide the subject with the necessary resources and care. E. Suicidal Subject A person who is threatening by words or actions to terminate his/her own life as reported to law enforcement or observed by a law enforcement officer. F. Mental Illness An impairment of the mental or emotional processes that exercise conscious control of one’s actions or of the ability to perceive or understand reality, which impairment substantially interferes with the person’s ability to meet the ordinary demands of living. The definition does not include a developmental disability, intoxication, or conditions manifested only by dementia, traumatic brain injury, antisocial behavior, or substance abuse. IV. CRITERIA FOR INVOLUNTARY EXAM (BAKER ACT-F.S.S. 394.463): A. A person may be taken to a receiving facility for involuntary examination if there is reason to believe that the person has a mental illness and because of his or her mental illness: 1. The person has refused voluntary examination after conscientious explanation and disclosure of the purpose of the examination; or 2. The person is unable to determine for himself or herself whether examination is necessary; and a. Without care or treatment, the person is likely to suffer from neglect or refuse to care for himself or herself; such neglect or refusal poses a real and present threat of substantial harm to his or her well-being; and it is not apparent that such harm may be avoided through the help of willing, able, and responsible family members or friends or the provision of other services; or b. There is a substantial likelihood that without care or treatment the person will cause serious bodily harm to himself or herself or others in the near future, as evidenced by recent behavior. ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE RESPONSE TO SUICIDAL SUBJECTS EPP – 68 Page 3 of 8 B. The officer may take a person who appears to meet the criteria for involuntary examination into custody and deliver the person or have him or her delivered to an appropriate or the nearest facility within the designated receiving system. 1. The officer shall restrain the person in a manner consistent with Enforcement Policy and Procedure 5 and in the least restrictive manner available and appropriate under the circumstances. 2. If transporting a minor and the parent or legal guardian of the minor is present, before departing, the officer shall provide the parent or legal guardian of the minor with the name, address, and contact information for the facility within the designated receiving system to which the officer is transporting the minor, subject to any safety and welfare concerns for the minor. C. The officer shall create a Cafe report detailing the circumstances under which the person was taken into custody, which must be made a part of the patient’s clinical record. The report must include all emergency contact information for the person that is readily accessible to the officer, including information available through electronic databases maintained by the Department of Law Enforcement or by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. V. CONSIDERATIONS A. It is not possible to develop guidance for every variation of a suicidal person response. Each situation is different, and all facts available to responding officers should be considered when addressing the situation. Careful consideration and evaluation must made as to the appropriate level of law enforcement action, including force, used in responding to a suicidal subject who is non-compliant, including barricading themselves, when they do not present an imminent threat to others and have not committed a crime. These types of incidents will be approached with a single or combined response of Longwood Police Department Uniformed Patrol, the Crisis Negotiating Team (CNT), the Behavior Services Unit (BSU), and the command level supervision. When necessary, other support functions may be called upon to aid in peacefully resolving a situation. B. The threat of suicide is not reason enough to make exigent entry into a dwelling, structure, or conveyance. Exigent entry may be necessary into a dwelling, structure, or conveyance when there is a need to render medical aid (i.e., the subject slashes their wrists and is bleeding out). C. Consent to enter a structure can only be given by a person with standing. Officers should weigh the risk to law enforcement and the potential for lethal force before making entry with proper consent. ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE RESPONSE TO SUICIDAL SUBJECTS EPP – 68 Page 4 of 8 D. The act of expressing intent to harm oneself or commit suicide or actually attempting suicide is not a criminal act. Officers must balance the moral responsibility to help people in crisis with established statutes and case law. Officers should not unnecessarily risk themselves or others to intervene with a suicidal subject when the subject poses a threat to no one but themselves. E. Evaluating the response to a suicidal person requires an evaluation of the totality of the circumstances. Decisions are based on what is known at the time. Factors to consider include but are not limited to the following questions or items. 1. Has a crime been committed? What is the crime? 2. Is the subject home alone, or are others in the house? Are there any threats to anyone else other than the subject? Officers should attempt to separate the innocent person(s) from the subject. If the innocent person is unwilling to separate or the subject is alone, this should be considered in the response options. 3. What is the location of the subject? a. Open Air: Is the subject outside on private or public property? b. Mobile: Is the subject moving from one location to another? c. Dwelling, structure, or conveyance: Is the subject staying within a home, business, or vehicle? 4. Is the subject at their home or another location? What is the subject’s relationship to that other location? 5. Officers must determine the source of the suicidal threats. The source may be the subject directly or someone associated with the subject. Officers should consider the following and interview all witnesses to confirm the validity of a suicidal threat. a. Has a legitimate suicidal threat been made by the subject? b. Review the 911 or non-emergency line call(s). c. Have threats to harm others been made? If so, to whom? d. Does the subject have the means to carry out the threat(s)? ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE RESPONSE TO SUICIDAL SUBJECTS EPP – 68 Page 5 of 8 e. Was the threat made verbally or by other means such as social media, text messages, etc.? Capture the source of the threat for the report and evidence. 6. Has a phrase similar to, “If you call the police, I will kill them and myself” been made? Be aware of persons attempting to provoke law enforcement to use lethal force against them (aka: “suicide by cop”). 7. Are weapons involved, not just present at the scene? What type of weapons? 8. What is the history of the residence and occupants? 9. What is the subject’s history? History may include, but is not limited to, the following: a. Any previous suicidal threats? b. Any calls or history of violence? c. What is the subject’s training with the military or law enforcement? d. Does the subject have any prior baker acts or ex-parte orders for mental health evaluation? e. Does the subject have a criminal history of crimes against persons or violence? f. Does the subject have a history of firearms incidents or offenses? 10. Are there other extenuating or aggravating circumstances (e.g., was the subject recently fired from a job, did they recently have a relationship issue, etc.?). 11. Is the subject intoxicated or under the influence of controlled substances that precludes rational decision making and behavior? 12. Officers should consider whether the subject is attempting to force a confrontation with law enforcement officers, which could lead to a response to resistance, including a lethal response. 13. Is the subject prescribed any medication, and if so, what are the medications and dosage amounts? ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE RESPONSE TO SUICIDAL SUBJECTS EPP – 68 Page 6 of 8 14. Is the subject is armed in a mobile or open-air environment, and if so, determine if the governmental interest is clear that the protection of innocent bystanders is warranted. If the subject is in a public place and is a risk to others, attempt to limit the subject’s movements. VI. RESPONSE OPTIONS: There are three phases to a suicidal subject call for service. A. First, the initial response engagement phase involves the response by Patrol officers to assess the situation, gather information, attempt to de-escalate the crisis and resolve the matter in a peaceful manner. The scope of the initial response engagement is to establish communication with the suicidal subject and utilize public safety resources to peacefully resolve and de-escalate the situation and provide the subject with the necessary resources and care. Responding officers will complete the following tasks: 1. Respond to the scene and assess the situation. Gather all known facts and determine the source of the suicidal threat (subject directly, witness, social media, etc.). Validate if the nature of the threat is suicidal, not suicidal, or something different (i.e., threat to another person or no threat at all). 2. If possible, safely make contact with the subject, either in-person verbally (at a safe distance), via phone, or other means. Talk with the subject to de-escalate the situation and offer alternatives to suicide, including crisis resources. Patrol officers should not use a Third-Party Intermediary (TPI), such as a family member, loved one, or significant other, in attempt to de-escalate the situation. This may create an audience for suicide. This technique is used by Crisis Negotiators in certain circumstances and with proper training. 3. If productive communication occurs, time restraints are generally not a concern, and officers should continue with good dialogue. 4. If no contact is made with the suicidal subject, officers should attempt to ascertain the location of the subject, including the subject’s mobile phone, to the legal extent possible. Review the 911 or non-emergency call itself by contacting the Communications Center, which can provide a copy of the audio file for review if needed. 5. Canvass the area and attempt to speak with family members, neighbors, friends, or associates. ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE RESPONSE TO SUICIDAL SUBJECTS EPP – 68 Page 7 of 8 6. Initiate a report in Café by documenting the incident and obtain written statements. 7. If it is apparent that the suicidal subject is not compliant, contain the area and notify the on-duty supervisor, who will respond to the scene. After reviewing the totality of the circumstances, the on-scene supervisor should consult with a lieutenant, as soon as practical. a. The lieutenant will review the incident and will determine if a follow-up engagement or disengagement should be considered and the next operational approach to the situation. The responding resources in this phase may be scaled up or down, depending on the circumstances and resource requirements. b. The supervising lieutenant may authorize the use of the Crisis Negotiation Team, or other specialized response team, if necessary. B. If the subject is not taken into custody under the provisions of an Involuntary Examination and it is necessary for the subject to receive mental health services, the second phase is follow-up engagement. During this phase, all or most of the resources that responded to the initial call for service are demobilized. The purpose of this phase is to attempt contact with the subject to provide necessary care, which may include affecting an Involuntary Examination, or consulting with the family on an ex-parte order. 1. Follow-up engagement includes a plan with appropriate resources to eventually contact and/or provide the necessary resources to the suicidal subject in a lower profile manner. Resources may include the Behavior Services Unit members, other detectives, or necessary resources. 2. Actions may include, but are not limited to, additional research on the subject’s background and pattern of life, surveillance of the location, and a plan to take the subject into custody, if necessary. C. The last phase is disengagement. Disengagement may occur immediately after the initial response engagement or after the follow-up engagement. Disengagement may be the most viable option when there is no crime, there is no legal premise to take the subject in custody, suicidal tendencies have not been reasonably confirmed, or the risk level outweighs further action by law enforcement. Only lieutenant or higher authority may authorize disengagement after thoroughly reviewing the facts and circumstances along with the response actions. ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE RESPONSE TO SUICIDAL SUBJECTS EPP – 68 Page 8 of 8 1. When follow-up engagement or disengagement phase is initiated, Patrol officer will: a. Draft an Officer Safety Bulletin and distribute it to local agencies. b. Contact the Communication Center and create a Hazard screen for the subject’s address. D. If there is evidence that the subject has carried out their threat, and life safety measures require immediate entry into a dwelling, structure, or conveyance, to render medical aid, officers should utilize a methodical shield entry, porting or viewing inside the structure through the shield. If available in a timely manner, a specialized unit may be considered to minimize the threat to law enforcement.