The ongoing training that law enforcement officers participate in helps them evaluate situations and when they should use strategies that will reduce the need for force and to keep a situation from getting out of hand. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the N.C. Justice Academy have provided day-long de-escalation, use of force and community engagement training to more than 200 federal, state and local law enforcement officers in the Eastern District of North Carolina between May and October.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael Easley said the training is part of his office’s Civil Rights Initiative. The training “gives law enforcement the tools, tactics and best practices to defuse and de-escalate situations by mitigating the need for or use of force,” Easley said in press statement.
These de-escalation techniques can help to reduce injuries and preserve the safety of law enforcement officers and the public, Easley said.
“In addition to providing training for dealing with ‘in the moment’ situations, the agenda also focused on the benefits of ongoing community engagement by law enforcement to build long-term, sustainable community trust. Taking the time to listen, learn and gain perspective creates a basis for developing collaborative solutions that make our communities safer,” he said.
Training sessions were offered in Raleigh, Greenville, Castle Hayne, Ahoskie and Fayetteville and included sessions on addressing use of force incidents, a review of civil rights laws and hate crimes, and best practices in community policing. The community engagement section was led by N.C. Department of Public Safety Secretary Eddie Buffaloe.
The training is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Civil Rights Initiative which includes community outreach and engagement designed to increase awareness of existing civil rights protections and how to spot and avoid civil rights violations.