From the role of the past which focused on apprehending criminals, today’s police officers often find themselves in the role of front-line caretakers for the community’s mentally ill. Today’s role centers on controlling, directing, and regulating human behavior. Regardless of the complexity of their role, officers deal basically with human behavior and must be competently prepared in this area of knowledge. Officers must function in relation to a more general objective than in the past, widening their concern from criminal activity to the larger area of human behavior. The approach emphasized is problem-oriented policing. This book is intended as a simple guide for officers to follow when dealing with mental health issues. It is intended to provide education and training to any level police officer on human behavior. The book is divided into six parts focusing on the changing role of the police officer and the basic foundations of a professional attitude toward human behavior, the origins and complexities of human behavior, understanding mental illness, assessing and managing abnormal behavior in the field, behavioral aspects of crisis situations, the stresses of police work and the role of the mental health professional in police work. References