In July, 1995, the first 60 CIT certified personnel were trained and began working as CIT officers and sergeants in the Portland metropolitan area.  The Portland CIT program received national attention from cities across North America. Voluntary trainings were held twice a year through the end of 2006, resulting in the CIT certification of approximately 260 personnel. 

At the beginning of 2007, a major shift occurred in the training.  As one of multiple recommendations suggested by members of then Mayor Potter’s “Public Safety and Mental Health” forum, Chief Rosie Sizer made CIT training mandatory for all operations personnel.  Once a month, behavioral health professionals, consumer/survivors and members of the Hostage Negotiation Team delivered 40-hour CIT trainings to all officers and sergeants working in uniform on the streets of Portland.

The training provided skills, tools, and tactics for law enforcement personnel to safely deescalate persons in mental illness or developmental disability crises. Officers received information about different mental illnesses, crisis intervention techniques, and community resources.  Instructors distinguished developmental disabilities from mental illnesses and discussed specific interventions useful for this population.  At the end of 2008, all uniform operations personnel had completed the training.