Police Training

 Training for De-escalation and Racial Sensitivity

Like firearms training, these require extensive practice if they are to be used effective, competently and appropriately.  Therefore, every officer must engage in live situation practice in these techniques to the same extent that an officer practices with their firearm.  Just as with firearms training, these techniques cannot be properly or effectively learned by reading a book or taking a paper and pencil test.  It makes no sense to say that because an officer has been given a gun and a manual for its care and operation, that that officer is then competent to use that firearm in a high-stress situation.  Similarly, it is even more the case that just because an officer has received a few hours of class room instruction on de-escalation or racial bias, that that officer is thereby competent or able to overcome decades of socialization to be aggressive and confrontational and to devalue and dehumanize people of color.  An officer new to firearms has had no time to develop bad habits about their use; but an officer by the time he or she has joined the police force, has had a life time of training in how to treat other people.  

Power and adversity do not build character, they reveal it.