Meridian police officers Casey Vanderslice and James Wiggins II were among 11 officers from around the state who graduated Friday from crisis intervention training hosted by the East Mississippi Crisis Intervention Team.

The ceremony marked the completion of a 40-hour Basic Crisis Intervention Team officer training. CIT teaches law enforcement officers how to better communicate and interact with people experiencing a crisis.

According to East Mississippi CIT Training Coordinator Captain Wade Johnson, law enforcement frequently encounters people in crises, and knowing how to communicate with those people can de-escalate emotional situations more quickly and peacefully.

Law enforcement from Meridian, Lauderdale County, Webster County, Carthage, Waynesboro and Kosciusko police and sheriff departments participated in the training.

The training is funded by a grant from the Mississippi Department of Mental Health through the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department.