The intricacies of modern-day policing depend upon law enforcement departments broadening the training of officers. The specific problem was that a police officer may lack the necessary training to deal with the mentally ill population. The targeted sample of this study included four police officers, two training staff officers, and four trainees in the Northern Virginia metropolitan area. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to explore the education and training received by police officers related to interactions with mentally ill persons. The research questions were (a) What type of education and training was provided to police officers regarding dealing with people with mental illness in the police academy?, (b) How effectively did police officers believe that education and training prepare them to deal with people with mental illness?, and (c) What changes did police officers believe needed to be made in their education and training regarding dealing with people with mental illness for future benefits? The findings revealed that most of the participants indicated training received was effective in helping them recognize signs of mental illness and to avoid overreacting during encounters with mentally ill persons. Some participants believed that more training should be added to prepare police officers to interact with the mentally ill. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]