CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mental illness affects many loved ones across the Carolinas.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department personnel have seen an increase in cases that involve mental illness and substance abuse.
Eyewitness News reporter Elsa Gillis learned how the Police Department is changing how it answers those calls and works with officers who respond to people in crisis.
LINK: Crisis Intervention Team
The increase in those calls has forced them to step up and make sure their officers are equipped to help people on what can be the darkest days their lives.
There has been a nearly 17 percent increase in suicide-related calls for service from 2016 to 2017, CMPD officials said.
"It's continuing into 2018,” Capt. Jim Wilson said. “More and more people are calling, or people are calling on them where they're having a mental health crisis."
Wilson said that trend is why CMPD has committed to have 35 percent of its patrol and school resource officers certified with Crisis Intervention Team training.
The crisis intervention team program is a collaboration between Mecklenburg County, law enforcement, mental health agencies and Central Piedmont Community College.
The training program is open to law enforcement across the county.
The 43rd CIT class graduated Friday.
Wilson said it prepares them to properly deal with people in crisis and know who to connect them with in the community for further support to stop a potentially deadly cycle.
"The jails are not where people with mental health and substance-use issues need to be -- they need to get treatment," Wilson said.
The officers must complete 40 hours of training to graduate.
CMPD currently has met its goal of having 35 percent of the qualified officers CIT trained, which is higher than the national average.
Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com: