EPD Held De-Escalation and Tactical Communication Training Last Week

An officer in deescalation training. [Photo from EPD]

On July 9, 2020, the Eureka Police Department (EPD) held another in house De- escalation and Tactical Communication course. About a dozen EPD officers participated in this latest training which is modeled from the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) program Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT).

The ten-hour multifaceted training was led by EPD Sergeants LaFrance and Rabang and Officer Nunez, who attended a nationally recognized train-the-trainer course in 2019 hosted locally by the Eureka Police Department. ICAT accompanies Crisis Intervention (CIT) and Principled Policing (Implicit Bias/Procedural Justice)—other vital fields in which EPD officers also receive training. This training course provides officers the tools, skills, and options needed to successfully defuse a range of critical incidents.

According to PERF, “ICAT is a new way of thinking about use-of-force training for police officers. ICAT is designed especially for situations involving persons who are unarmed or are armed with weapons other than firearms, and who may be experiencing a mental health or other crisis. The training program is anchored by the Critical Decision-Making Model that helps officers assess situations, make safe and effective decisions, and document and learn from their actions. ICAT incorporates different skill sets into a unified training approach that emphasizes scenario-based exercises, as well as lecture and case study opportunities.” The training

blended in-depth discussion and realistic scenarios requiring them to apply the tactics and communications skills they learned. Topics included:

• Critical decision-making
• Crisis recognition
• Tactical communications
• Operational tactics

[Image from EPD]

Chief Watson said, “The critical skills learned in this course are used by EPD officers daily. As our community’s protectors, defenders and peacekeepers, the Eureka Police Department is committed to a “guardian policing” mindset. Reducing the use of force where feasible through effective de-escalation techniques not only increases the safety of our officers and citizens, but it also enhances a law enforcement agency’s legitimacy and trust in the eyes of those we are sworn to serve and protect.”

EPD has another in-house de-escalation course (our fourth ICAT training since May 2019) scheduled for next month. EPD will continue to provide de-escalation, CIT, and implicit bias/procedural justice training for its members on an on-going basis.