De-Escalation Techniques

27.13 Develop and use a variety of alternatives to hostile-sounding phrases. Hostile sounding phrases and alternative.

- Adversarial phrase: "what's your problem" • Alternative: "what can i do to help you?" - Adversarial phrase: "Calm down" • Alternative: "I see you are upset. Please tell me about it."

27.8 Describe and recognize the value of the emotional-rational thinking scale. Emotional-rational thinking scale.

- As emotions rise, rational thinking declines. - Lowering someone's emotions can help them think more rationally and make better decisions. - Wont always be possible but always worth a try.

27.18 Participate in an effective after-actions-review (AAR) of a critical incident.

- Conducted to uncover and documents strength weaknesses of the response to an incident. - Part of a continuous learning and improvement process. - Purpose to improve future performance. - Include the topic of implicit bias in your review of the incident.

27.16 Demonstrate and explain key tactical expectations and roles when responding to a critical incident as a team. key tactical expectations and roles when responding to a critical incident as a team.

- Everyone should have a key role and should know what their role is. - Only one officer should be communicating with the subject. - Other roles as personnel arrives at the scene would be providing cover, using less-lethal weapons, establishing perimeter etc.

27.5 Successfully identify behaviors associated with a person experiencing behavioral crisis. Behaviors associated with a person in crisis:

- Individual not responding to verbal communication. - Lack of coherence. - Agitated. - Talking to themselves. - Poor hygiene.

27.3 Articulate the benefits of the CDM. Articulated benefits of CDM:

- Organize the decision making model. - Assist officers to make better decisions. - Assist officers in explaining their actions after the incident to provide a structured, rational explanation increasing credibility.

27.10 Explain the concepts and importance of active listening and demonstrate the use of key active listening skills.

- Paying close attention to what others are saying as well as what they are communicating non-verbally, through gestures and body language. - 80% of your time spent listening and 20% talking (80/20 rule). - In listening your goal is to understand and gather information about what the person is thinking and feeling. - Avoid distractions. - Show the subject that you are listening carefully. - Use silence to your advantage.

27.11 Explain how non-verbal communication affect interactions with others and demonstrate the use of key non-verbal communication skills. key non-verbal communication skills.

- Project the right body language. - Make eye contact and use open-ended questions. - Modulate your tone of voice.

27.14 Demonstrate critical pre-response and response requirements for critical incidents.

- Recognize the nature of the incident and practice effective responses for the different types of incidence. - Communicate well with the subject of the incident and with other officers and persons who are involved in the response. - Use sound tactics.

27.7 Use some common tips and techniques for engaging and making a connection with a person in behavioral crisis. Common tips and techniques for engaging and making a connection with a person in crisis.

- Request backup and specialized help. - Don't rush the situation (unless immediate action is required). - Focus on calming the situation and minimizing the stress level. - Continually assess and re-assess (use the CDM model). - Communicate, communicate, communicate. - Active listening. - Watch body language. (theirs and yours) - Always be respectful, never dismissive.

27.19 Use the CDM to explain key-response expectations following a critical incident.

- The CDM which guides thinking during incident, also serves as a tool for examining decision-making after the fact. - AAR's are designed to answer the questions contained in the CDM.

27.12 Demonstrate the key verbal communications skills that are critical to defusing tense situations and gaining voluntary compliance. key verbal communications skills:

- Use the team concept. - Establish rapport. - Ask questions or make request clearly, and one at a time. - ask open-ended questions, especially "what" and "how" questions. - Encourage conversations but do not dominate it. - Provide options. - Emotional contagion.

27.6 Recognize principles and best practices for effectively responding to a person in behavioral crisis. Principles and best practices for effectively responding to a person in behavioral crisis:

- Your mission is not to diagnose or treat/solve issues. - Top priority is to defuse and stabilize the situation. - Try to get person to a state where they can function and better reason, where voluntary compliance can be achieved.

27.17 Explain concepts such as "tactical pause" "distance + cover = time," and "tactical repositioning." Tactical repositioning:

Maintaining a position and advantage and a safety zone.

27.17 Explain concepts such as "tactical pause" "distance + cover = time," and "tactical repositioning." Tactical pause:

Officer MUST be prepared to act as soon as they arrive at the scene. But if there is no immediate treat and have time to "slow the situation down" they should use that to their tactical advantage.

27.2 Explain each of the five steps of CDM. 5 Steps of Critical Decision Making Model (CDM)

Step 1- Collect information. Step 2- Assess situation treats and risk. Step 3- Consider police powers and agency policy. Step 4- ID options and determine best course of action. Step 5- Act, review and re-assess.

27.17 Explain concepts such as "tactical pause" "distance + cover = time," and "tactical repositioning." Distance + cover = time:

When officers are in close quarters with a potential threat and they feel pressed for time, options quickly dwindle. But when officers have distance, cover and time, their options multiply.

27.15 Explain use of Critical Decision Making Model (CDM) in responding to and managing a critical incident.

• Collect information. • "Tactical pause." • Preparing yourself.

27.1 Describe the key principles of the Critical Decision-Making Model (CDM) Key principles of CDM:

• Police ethics. • The value of the police agency. • Proportionality. • The sanctity of human life.