Between Crime and Care: A Practical Guide to Safer Law Enforcement Mental Health Response

Dr. Stephanie Schilling's Between Crime and Care exposes one of the most misunderstood realities of modern policing, that being the "gray area" in policing. As a law enforcement officer with nearly three decades of experience, I know the gray area to be the most vulnerable to an officer's livelihood. What makes this book exceptional is its empathy for everyone in the "system." For those of us who have worked these calls, Between Crime and Care reads less like theory and more like lived experience. The book closes with a moral truth that resonates with every experienced officer: compassion is not weakness, it's operational strength. Between Crime and Care is not just a book about mental health response, it's a mirror held up to the profession. Schilling manages to articulate what many of us have lived but few have been able to explain. Real policing happens in quiet work that is often nestled between fear and trust, authority and empathy. It should be required reading for every command staff member, policymaker, and clinician seeking to understand the human truth of law enforcement in the modern era and the profession's intersectionality with clinical practices. -Glenn Albin Retired Lt (SJPD) and CEO of GA Solutions Dr. Schilling has made a pioneering contribution to the emerging field of critical incidents with her book Between Crime and Care. As a practicing law enforcement psychologist, I work with officers every day who would benefit from this book, regardless of whether they have had CIT training or not. It is a comprehensive handbook for working all those "gray area" calls with empathy and care while maintaining their own emotional wellness. -Edward C. Keane, Ph.D. Law Enforcement Psychologist