Las Cruces law enforcement training offers officers life-like training

LCPD offers a training experience like no other. Officers went through crisis intervention training, a training that marries theater with crisis intervention.

According LCPD officials, all the scenarios presented in the training are based off real life experiences LCPD officers have seen on the job. One specific scenario ABC-7 witnessed Friday morning was from the personal experience of LCPD Sgt. Bob McCord.

“I’d been out of police work for about seven years and when I came back, I had a pretty interesting incident at one of the local hotels,” McCord said. “They had called about a subject who was walking around a swimming pool in a towel, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat and that he wasn’t wearing anything under the towel. I realized he’s in a manic state. And that’s what brought me closer to being a crisis intervention officer.”

McCord said the incident happened about 11 years ago. It inspired LCPD to start the training, now in its eleventh year.

“My supervisor… asked me to go into the community and bring the mental health community to the door of the police department, so we could build a community partnership,” McCord said.

So. LCPD partnered with Monica Mojica.

“I have 2 passions. I love the theater. I also have a passion for advocation for a very vulnerable population and that’s the people who suffer with severe mental illness,” Mojica said. “I have it in my family, I’ve seen it my whole life and I thought how could I marry these two passions.”

She created Mobu Creative, a group of professional actors who help train officers to deescalate tense situations.

“The Las Cruces police department has some wonderful, wonderful people. They truly care,” she said. “They’re putting in a heck of a lot of time making sure that their officers get the best training by the best actors.”

Sgt. McCord said a total of 14 officers went through Friday’s training consisting of 8 life-like scenarios. Twelve of the officers were from the LCPD and 2 from federal law enforcement agencies. He said in the 11 years LCPD has offered the training, around 400 to 500 officers have completed it. He said the training has caused the number of SWAT calls in Las Cruces to drop significantly, more individuals with mental illness getting the help they need.