I was recently reading an interview with a police chief about training his department had been providing to officers to help them better be able to assess and determine the proper and safest response to a situation. The chief was saying that the training boiled down to time and distance. That instead of rushing into every situation, which often escalates it more, that his officers are receiving more training on how to assess and slow situations down as much as they safely can to give the person the time and space they need to start to deescalate. He said the foundation for being able to do this is to connect with and treat the suspect like a person.
Many people, until they experience it, see The Mandt System as a restraint training program, and don’t realize that most of the training we provide is about preventing the use of restraint. As a conflict resolution training program, the basic concepts that the police chief is trying to teach his officers to use are at the core of The Mandt System. Building relationships and treating people with dignity and respect as doing these things help prevent people from escalating in the first place. When situations are escalating safely giving people the time and distance they need to start to de-escalate without the need for physical interaction or restraint.
As a crisis prevention intervention training program, we truly do put the emphasis on preventing violence and aggression instead of just responding to it happening.
Doug ZehrVogt – Mandt System Faculty
Oh and by the way………. Happy New Year
