Law Enforcement Officers Take Part In De Escalation Training

NEW ALBANY, MISS. (WCBI) – Law enforcement officers from the Third District spent the day undergoing cultural sensitivity and de escalation training.

The day long session was sponsored by District Attorney Ben Creekmore, as a way to provide training to area law officers on issues that have galvanized the nation  recently.

Former FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Artis led officers through role playing scenarios similar to what police encounter on a daily basis.

He says the goal is to help police better understand cultural differences and also to diffuse any potential conflicts. He says the popularity of social media has put police under the microscope.

“Is law enforcement worse than it was, 40, 50 years ago, no.  But right now, everything a law officer does is potentially being recorded, that is being played millions of times , and individuals, that is their only view of law enforcement, because most people do not come in contact with law enforcement, part of this training is how to not put yourself in a situation unnecessarily, and don’t allow it to become personal,” Artis said.

District Attorney Creekmore said this is the first time various departments have taken the cultural sensitivity and de escalation training together and he expects it will continue in the future.