2023 Lesson 4: De-escalation

This is an online interpersonal perspectives course addressing de-escalation. The lesson explains the reasons for using de-escalation techniques in police work, including increasing officer safety, building community trust, and saving lives. The lesson discusses how officers can assess the scene to determine whether to use de-escalation techniques and, if so, what techniques to use. The lesson describes the fight or flight response, how officers can recognize it in others and themselves, and how to curtail it in others and themselves. The lesson teaches verbal de-escalation techniques such as having a proper initial contact, active listening, effective use of questions, effective use of statements, controlling the conversation, and avoiding triggers. The lesson teaches physical de-escalation techniques such as controlling the scene and the pace of the encounter, physical positioning of officers in relation to the subject of the encounter, and disciplined body language. Finally, the lesson explains how to bring an encounter to a peaceful ending. The lesson uses case studies from actual events to illustrate these concepts.