The call came in just after 3 AM, a time Officer David Chen of the Atlanta Police Department’s Zone 5 precinct knew well. A veteran was having a mental health crisis, barricaded in his apartment near Piedmont Park and threatening to hurt himself. David knew the standard procedure was de-escalation, but he’d seen these calls go sideways fast, especially when the first responders didn’t understand military trauma. The department’s standard protocols were simply not designed for the unique psychological state of someone who has served in combat.
Key Takeaways
- Create vet-specific outreach teams in police departments to build real trust and lines of communication.
- Give officers specific training on military culture, combat trauma, and de-escalation techniques that actually work for veteran mental health calls.
- Form official partnerships between police departments and local veteran support groups to share resources and on-the-ground knowledge.
- Deploy crisis intervention teams that include military veterans or mental health professionals with specific training in veteran care.
- Write clear, step-by-step rules for responding to incidents involving veterans, with a focus on avoiding the use of force whenever possible.
As a former Marine, David got the complexities. He’d seen it happen: a well-meaning cop, totally uniformed about military culture, could accidentally trigger a veteran with PTSD. To someone whose nervous system is still wired for a warzone, the flashing lights, shouting, and tactical gear don’t look like help, they look like a threat. Atlanta, like a lot of big cities, was struggling with this, and the situation with Marcus, the veteran in the apartment, was a perfect example of the huge gap in police training.
Marcus was a Bronze Star recipient who’d been struggling ever since he got back from Afghanistan. His family tried to get him into the Atlanta VA Medical Center, but he was stuck in bureaucratic limbo and deeply distrustful of any institution. When a neighbor called 911 about shouting and aggressive behavior, the police response made everything worse. David showed up to a tense standoff. Other officers were blasting commands through a bullhorn, and Marcus was yelling back fragmented, agitated things about threats and firefights. This was not a textbook police call.
The root of the problem, as David saw it, was a serious lack of specialized training. The APD had a general Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program for mental health calls, but it barely scratched the surface of military service, combat trauma, or the specific hell veterans go through when they try to return to civilian life. A 2024 report from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) found that only 35% of police departments in the country had any kind of specific training modules for interacting with veterans. A pretty stark number, given how many vets live in our communities.
David knew right away they needed a different playbook. He got the incident commander to kill the bullhorn and then started talking calmly, introducing himself as a fellow veteran. That one small act started to bring the temperature down. The agitation in Marcus’s voice lessened. David knew that for a lot of vets, just hearing from someone who “gets it” can be the one thing that cuts through the noise and fear. He was building a bridge of trust in a moment of total vulnerability, which is the real heart of de-escalation.
What happened that night proved that dedicated veteran outreach within law enforcement is a tactical imperative. When officers know the culture, the jargon, and the triggers, they can communicate in a way that doesn’t escalate the situation. David remembered a training he’d attended with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Georgia chapter where they explained how something as simple as an officer’s “bladed” tactical stance could be read by a vet as a sign of aggression, putting them instantly on the defensive.
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The standoff with Marcus dragged on for another two hours. David kept talking, sharing a few of his own experiences from the Marines, not to sound like a tough guy, but just to show he was coming from the same place. He used some specific military slang, even mimicking the cadence of a shared drill instructor, all to prove he was authentic. He learned Marcus was getting set off by the sound of sirens which were reminding him of incoming mortars. David passed that to the commander, who had patrol cars down the block kill their sirens. Tiny adjustment. Huge impact.
That incident became the catalyst for a whole new program at APD: the Veterans Engagement and Response Team (VERT). This unit, made up of veteran officers or cops who’d gone through intensive training on military culture, became the primary responders for calls involving vets in crisis. They worked with groups like the American Legion Post 140 in Atlanta to build a curriculum covering PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI), moral injury, and effective communication. Importantly, the training also covered real resources, so officers could provide actual next steps, like connecting a vet to housing assistance or employment programs, instead of just leaving them to figure it out alone.
One of the best parts of the VERT program was pairing cops with mental health professionals who specialize in veteran care. These clinicians, often vets themselves, would actually go out on calls with the officers. This team-based model, which is backed by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), meant they could do on-the-spot mental health assessments and get a veteran connected to the right services immediately, cutting through the red tape that had completely failed Marcus before.
The work wasn’t just about responding to 911 calls. VERT officers started doing regular outreach at local veteran centers and community colleges, showing up out of uniform just to build relationships, share information, and make the police seem less like an intimidating force. This kind of proactive work built a foundation of trust that wasn’t there before, sometimes heading off a crisis entirely because a veteran knew an officer they could call for help before things got bad.
The program’s results showed up in the numbers. In the first year of VERT, incidents involving veterans in crisis that required force dropped by 40% in Atlanta. At the same time, referrals to veteran mental health services shot up by 60%, a sign that more vets were actually getting help through channels they felt they could trust. The department also saw a major drop in repeat calls for the same individuals, which proved the interventions weren’t just a temporary fix but were leading to lasting support.
David Chen, now a sergeant in charge of the VERT unit, reflected on the shift. “Our job extends beyond just responding to calls. We’re trying to understand the road our veterans have walked,” he explained. “We have to recognize that their service, while heroic, can leave invisible wounds. We’re here to help heal the community, and that has to include the people who fought for it.” He believes every police department has an obligation to do this because it saves lives on both sides of a crisis call. Not training for these specific encounters puts everyone at risk and is a complete failure of our duty.
After the standoff, Marcus was connected with a veteran-specific therapy program and found stable housing. He even started volunteering to speak with new VERT recruits, giving them his side of the story and showing them how the right approach from a cop can be the first step toward recovery. His willingness to help showed just how much of a difference an empathetic, informed officer can make.
The Atlanta experience offers a clear path for other departments that want to do better by their veteran communities. It requires specialized training and strong partnerships with established veteran organizations. It also means putting officers who truly understand the unique struggles of veterans in the right positions to make a difference. Taking these steps makes communities safer and finally gives our service members the respect they’ve earned, especially when they’re in crisis.
Putting in the work to create specialized veteran outreach makes our streets safer and ensures that the men and women who served get the support they need instead of being re-traumatized during a mental health emergency.
What is military cultural competency training for law enforcement?
Military cultural competency training teaches law enforcement officers about the world of military service. This includes things like rank structure and communication styles. But more importantly, it covers the psychological impact of combat, like PTSD or TBI, so officers can interact with veterans more effectively and safely.
Why are community partnerships important for veteran outreach in law enforcement?
Community partnerships with veteran service organizations are absolutely essential. They give police access to specialized resources and knowledge they wouldn’t have otherwise. These relationships build trust in the veteran community, which leads to better outcomes in a crisis and helps connect vets with long-term support.
What are the benefits of a Veterans Engagement and Response Team (VERT)?
A Veterans Engagement and Response Team (VERT) is a specialized unit of officers with military backgrounds or specific training. Having a VERT leads to better de-escalation results, a measurable reduction in the use of force, and a significant increase in getting veterans connected to the mental health and support services they actually need.
How can law enforcement agencies identify veterans in their community?
Agencies can find veterans by working directly with local VA facilities and veteran registries, or by holding community outreach events where vets are present. Officers can also be trained to ask respectfully if someone has served during initial contact, but it’s important to respect privacy and follow all data protection rules.
What specific mental health challenges might veterans face that law enforcement should be aware of?
Officers should be trained to recognize signs of challenges like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), depression, and severe anxiety. They also need to be aware of substance use issues and moral injury. These conditions can show up as agitation, paranoia, or complete withdrawal during an interaction with police.
