AGENDA REPORT - Laserfiche WebLink

stated a man was standing on the front porch of the residence armed with a firearm. Officers were able to make contact with the man's wife and son away from the residence. The wife told officers her husband was self-employed and was feeling "cooped up" due to the COVID-19 pandemic and had been drinking alcohol all day. She confirmed the man had walked onto the porch with a firearm. The wife and son told officers the argument was verbal only and the man had not committed any criminal act. They also confirmed the man was home alone and they were leaving the residence to allow him to "cool off." Officers determined there was a potential for volatility if they approached the residence and that could put the man or officers in unnecessary danger. As the man was in the home alone, intoxicated and armed with a firearm, they decided to clear officers from the area. This situation concluded without injury to anyone and to date, the police have received no return calls to the residence. In other situations, a low level of force applied early in an altercation is a form of de- escalation if it prevents higher levels of force becoming necessary if the incident were to evolve. Most commonly, this refers to skilled verbal and non-verbal communication combined with a calm and comforting demeanor to gain compliance without force. Successful de-escalation of this nature requires a degree of cooperation from all involved and requires time, although time and cooperation are not always available. For example, when a person is experiencing a possible mental health crisis, taking time and speaking to them with crisis intervention techniques is the desired outcome, regardless of whether they've committed a crime or not. However, if that person does not have the capacity to cooperate or if that person poses an immediate threat, de- escalation may not be feasible. The police department trains officers on de-escalation both in policy and practice. The policy encourages de-escalation and officers seek opportunities to de-escalate incidents whenever possible. A recent example occurred when someone called 911 to report a man with a gun. Officers arrived and encountered a hostile and aggressive subject who matched the description provided. Officers were able to place him in handcuffs without using any force options tools and later determined he called 911 on himself seeking to provoke a violent encounter with law enforcement. While this confrontation ended successfully, requiring de-escalation in every scenario is not possible as there are times when immediate action must be taken to render a situation safe. The key is to provide training, resources and supervision to officers so they can expand the opportunities to de-escalate and better recognize them in tense, rapidly unfolding incidents. The police department plans to evaluate the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) de-escalation training program called Integrating Communication Assessment and Tactics as part of its continued commitment to prioritizing de-escalation training. The police department continues to provide training on racial and cultural diversity, crisis intervention and principled policing. Each year, officers attend a minimum of 60 hours of Advanced Officer Training. The topics include many legislative and Peace Officer and Standards (POST) mandates. Page 11 of 17