Protests in Ferguson, New York and Baltimore rekindled an old debate about American Law Enforcement use-of-force. The perception that police officers are too aggressive has been fed not just by the high-profile deaths, but also by a stream of unflattering camera phone videos.

 

With the growing concerns of officers dealing with people struggling with mental illness, de-escalation training can help calm the interaction at a mental health service call.

 

Because officers have to protect their own safety, as well as the safety of those around them, they only have a small amount of time in which to establish a communication mode that minimizes the risk of violence. Agitated, not-yet-violent individuals can often be directed away from violence through the proper use of de-escalation skills.

 

This interactive 8-hour class will help participants understand how stress and conflict can affect the thought process and decision making abilities. This class will discuss the fight, flight and freeze responses and how to deal with these responses using de-escalation techniques. There will be a class discussion on how the use of video by citizens can affect the perception of the general public feeling that police officers are out of control and leaving them asking why leaving police officer feeling very challenged by that.

 

Special attention will include topics on complacency, building community trust, the role of ego in the decision making process, communicating with people suffering from mental illness, the importance of proper training, how stress affects decision making, officer safety and the necessary use-of-force.

 

Case studies will be reviewed to include video samples from high speed pursuits to protests...dealing with the mentally ill to arresting a verbally abusive individual. Each student will receive handout materials that can be used for roll-call and in-service training.