US Police Departments Clamoring for De-escalation Training

SACO, Maine (AP) — Since the death of George Floyd and the protests that followed, police departments around the country are increasingly pushing for de-escalation training.

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The Police Executive Research Forum, the foremost policing think tank in the country, offers such training, and requests have skyrocketed.

It’s a mix of classroom training and scenarios played out with actors to give officers time to work through what they’ve learned.

Officers are taught to keep a safe distance and slow things down.

One trainer says: “The most common mistake is rushing a situation that you don’t need to rush.”