Oxnard--The Oxnard Police Department congratulates Corporal Jonathan Ballow for being recognized during the Ventura County Behavioral Health Advisory Board meeting as a 2023 Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Officer of the Year.
C.I.T. Officers of the Year demonstrate patience, skill, and the ability to create rapport with individuals and safely deescalate crisis situations.
Ballow was nominated for his performance on a call for service regarding a missing juvenile in June 2023. When Officers arrived at the scene, they learned that the juvenile had fled from the residence in possession of a knife and was heard making statements about wanting to kill herself.
Corporal Ballow arrived on the scene and began to speak with the juvenile calmly, and began to build rapport by being patient in allowing the juvenile to talk about what was causing her to feel and act this way and was empathetic to her issues.
His training as a Crisis Negotiation Officer allowed him to ease the juvenile and encourage her to engage in conversation. Ultimately, Officer Ballow built a bridge of trust and communication, which assisted officers in bringing the incident to a peaceful conclusion. The juvenile was placed on a hold and connected with services.
Congratulations…
