• July 31, 2017
• By Billy Cordell
• News

De-Escalation Training

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Burleson Police Foundation to sponsor crisis intervention training

 The Burleson Police Foundation, along with the Fort Worth Police Bike Support Group, will sponsor a de-escalation/crisis intervention training for officers from a variety of local departments and representatives from a wide array of agencies.

 Officers have to protect their own safety, as well as the safety of those around them, and they only have a small amount of time in which to establish a communication mode that minimizes the risk of violence.

“Officers are frequently called to the scene of aggressive and emotionally disturbed individuals, and their quick assessment of the call can help de-escalate the volatile situation,” said Burleson Police Chief, Billy Cordell. “Which will lessen the risk of the officer using force and that is a win for everyone.”

Ellis Amdur, M.A., author of The Thin Blue Lifeline will facilitate the training Thursday, August 3, 2017. Amdur will role play different aggressive and emotional episodes so the audience can learn hands-on to recognize and respond to the different type of behaviors that can be exhibited. In addition, each participant will receive one of Amdur’s books as a reference and resource guide.

“The goal of this training is to assemble a very diverse audience aimed at creating a network of individuals that I hope will become the catalyst for future dialog and training,” said Cordell.

The audience will consist of police officers from the cities of Burleson, Mansfield, Fort Worth, North Richland Hills, Cleburne, Joshua and Keene along with officers from Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and Tarrant County College. The audience will also include jailers, communication specialists, Burleson ISD counselors, a psychologist, representatives from the Tarrant County MHMR Law Liaison and One Safe Place.

“I am hopeful that this training will give officers and other mental health care workers additional knowledge and create resources that will better prepare them for these interactions,” stated Cordell.