Belmont Police Join Critical Incident Stress Management Team

BELMONT, MA – The Belmont Police Department is joining a newly created law enforcement initiative that focuses on officers' resiliency and wellbeing when responding to critical incidents.

BPD is one of eight greater Boston departments to join the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team, a program founded and facilitated by the Cambridge Police Department.

In addition to the Belmont and Cambridge agencies, officers from Arlington, Brookline, Chelsea, Everett, Somerville and Watertown have signed on to the team. Members of the regional group will serve as peer support officers who may have been affected by critical events.

Each participating department has up to five officers trained in Critical Incident Stress Management acting as liaisons; these officers will attend group crisis interventions, demobilizations and debriefings as needed, help mediate conflicts and provide ongoing support.

"I think this is a very important program and one that is long overdue," Belmont Police Chief Richard McLaughlin said in a statement. "It is also important, as noted, that the eight departments have come together to form this partnership and regional effort, but more importantly are able to offer this assistance and resource to our department members, when they are asked to manage and deal with all the situations that they are presented with on a daily basis."

Image via Belmont Police Twitter