WALDORF, Md. – De-escalation training has always been and continues to be a priority for the CCSO. Recently, this group of officers completed an intensive course which will allow them to serve as De-Escalation Trainers. For six weeks, the group met with Dr. Melanye Smith to focus on various topics, including:
• the history of police and various use of force statistics,
• the use of force continuum,
• de-escalation techniques,
• crisis intervention team techniques,
• building community trust,
• duty to intervene,
• critical thinking/emotional intelligence, and
• communication.
“Our officers walk into situations every day that require some type of de-escalation. It is imperative that we continually have conversations and training to focus on de-escalating situations in order to keep everyone involved safe,” said Sheriff Berry. “I’m very proud of these officers for stepping up in this initiative to help train our staff.”