This is a practical, to the point, boots-on-the-ground, no frills, no big words class! Learn and become aware of your ACE, and learn how to more effectively use it to effectively and successfully de-escalate situations you may find yourself in! A- Appearance C- Communication E- Engagement

GOAL:  To educate LE officers of their ACE card for effective and successful conflict de-escalation.  Being able to successfully and effectively de-escalate a difficult, oftentimes confrontational, person is critical for everyone’s safety.

OBJECTIVES:   Officers will be reminded that there is no such thing as one thing that anyone can do or say that will just “de-escalate” a person or situation in a “blink of an eye”, that effective and successful conflict de-escalation is a process and will take time.

Officers will become aware of how critical their non-verbal messages are from their body language, and learn to recognize in themselves what they may be doing and saying under some stress that may actually escalate a situation.  Officers will become aware of how their APPEARANCE may affect a situation, how their body language and facial expressions like a smile can begin the de-escalation process. This is the A in their ACE.

Officers will learn how critical their tone of voice is when interacting with an agitated person, and how the "wrong" tone can,  and oftentimes will,  escalate a situation.  Officers will become more aware of certain “trigger words” and phrases to avoid.  Officers will learn how critical their COMMUNICATION is in the de-escalation process. This is the C in their ACE.

Officers will learn how critical it is to ENGAGE with a subject, how eye contact can help to create a rapport and a connection.  Officers will become aware of how critical it is to the de-escalation process to treat a subject with dignity and respect even if they do not “deserve it” in that moment, to use active-reflective listening by repeating what the subject has said, and to use facial expressions to let the subject know they are being heard. This is the E in their ACE.

Officers will learn how playing their ACE can be very effective with subjects who are under the influence of intoxicants such as alcohol, drugs or both, or suffering from mental illness.

Officers will be reminded of how critical it is to work together as a cohesive unit to effectively de-escalate situations, and prevent colleagues from doing or saying something that will escalate the situation.

PROCESS:  The class is relaxed and casual. Officers are asked to imagine they are on duty and we have pulled up to each other door to door and are just chatting about effective conflict de-escalation.  I strive to connect with the class and will not use “big", academic, clinical words,  nor show slides of graphs ,slides, and data to the class.  I use humor and try to be engaging.  Officers are encouraged to share experiences so that we can learn from each other.

I will lecture and present for 45-50 minutes at a time, and have breaks in between.    

I will summarize Supreme Court rulings that cover “de-escalation”.

I will share personal stories and experiences from my 20 year career as a road patrol officer in Grand Rapids, MI,  to highlight and illustrate teaching points.  

I will use videos from the internet to highlight and illustrate teaching points.

I am a Certified Crisis Intervention Specialist through the National Anger Management Association, and will point out to officers how that training also emphasizes and supports my teaching points.

RESULTS:  LE departments will experience an overall reduction in Use-of-force reports and discourtesy complaints against their police officers.

Police departments will experience an improved relationship with the community, which will create an overall safer community and safer environment for police officers, and officers will be able to identify behavior in colleagues that may escalate situations and intervene to look out for each other.

Pen and paper to take notes, have an open mind, and stay loose!