De-escalation Training

Police officers have a tough job. A  job that is stressful, volatile,  and inherently dangerous. They must protect the safety and well-being of the public while also ensuring their own safety. Members of law enforcement, often face challenging situations where they find themselves in conflict with those whom they have sworn to protect. Failure to manage these stressful and anger-provoking interactions efficiently may place officers at risk for impulsive and overly aggressive behavior. Having the wrong perception can affect an officer's judgment and lead to incidents that cannot be reversed. It is our desire to protect officers from incidents that may tarnish their reputation. Proper management of these situations requires self-awareness of one’s own triggers and behaviors as well as the necessary skills and techniques to de-escalate and resolve conflict.

Due to the high-profile incidents that recently occurred in the United States, police departments are now implementing de-escalation and cultural sensitivity training for their officers. According to Chicago AP, police misconduct has caused Chicago $660 million since 2004.  New York recently paid $4 million to the family of Akai Gurley and $5.9 million to the family of Eric Garner. Not only has the family of the victims lost a loved one, but the city loses substantial revenue that could have been used elevate the community. These are only 2 examples of the unnecessary costs that can be easily avoided with proper training.

Smaller police departments claim that they cannot afford to lose officers for long stretches of training because it leaves their departments short-staffed.

Due to this issue, the Diversion Center created an affordable online de-escalation training that will allow police officers to get the training that they need without leaving their department.

Our de-escalation training promotes verbal and non-verbal de-escalation skills and provides officers with on-the-job video examples of how to de-escalate someone that is going through a mental health crisis. Our training gives lessons on cultural sensitivity and explains the difference between danger and fear.  Police officers will learn mood management techniques and understand the importance of developing emotional intelligence. Police officers will examine the importance of accountability, assertiveness, and ethical decision making. The negative consequences of excessive and deadly force will also be reviewed. 

***Protect your reputation and gain deeper insight into psychology and human behavior.   

De-escalation Training for Police Officers  
Facilitator : Derek Collins, M.Ed., CADC-II, CAMS-III, CSTAS
For more information email Cindy Han at [email protected] or call 404-552-3572