CENTRAL ILLINOIS POLICE TRAINING CENTER

Brian Fengel, Director

Phone: (309) 690-7355
Fax: (309) 690-7359
Heather Grove: hgrove@icc.edu

Jean Swan: jswan@icc.edu

Robert Pyszka: rp717@icc.edu

Realistic De-Escalation Instructor Course

Instructor: Force Science Institute

April 2-3, 2025

 8am – 5pm

 Class will meet at: CIPTC, ICC Peoria Campus, 5407 N. University, Poplar P101, Peoria

Enrollment Deadline:  March 27, 2025

Course Size:  Minimum –20 Maximum – 64

COURSE OVERVIEW

Course Description and Lesson Purpose:

Law enforcement agencies have come under intense pressure in recent years to prioritize

their efforts at “de-escalation.” We will discuss the often-challenging expectations of law

enforcement professionals to gain compliance without using physical force and how

oftentimes, this may not be realistic or safe. The legitimate goal of de-escalation tactics is to

resolve problems with minimal harm. This distinction is critical.

The course will present law enforcement concepts and methods to support de-escalation

efforts. Attendees will be provided with knowledge to apply core skills of incident stabilization,

tactics, and decision-making, and verbal and non-verbal skills to establish contact, build

rapport and create influence with difficult subjects.

Learning and Training Objectives:

Participants will learn a wide variety of skills during this course, including:

• Articulate what ‘de-escalation’ actually means, what the objectives of de-escalation

are, and in what situations de-escalation can and cannot be considered

• Discuss the tactical principles of de-escalation, risk assessment, and decision-making
• Quickly evaluate an interaction to determine whether de-escalation efforts are

reasonable to consider, tactically practical, and likely to be successful

• Apply critical Force Science concepts such as the “Response-ability Zone” and the “7

T’s De-Escalation Evaluation Model” to evaluate tactics that are needed or likely to

be successful in supporting a de-escalation process

• Enhance their ability to make a connection, establish rapport and apply effective

principles of persuasion with difficult subjects, including mentally ill subjects, through

the application of the ‘Behavioral Influence Stairway Model.’

• Learn and apply the ‘Thought/Emotion/Behavior’ (TEB) Matrix to quickly recognize

whether a subject is in ‘conflict’, ‘crisis’ or has ‘contaminated’ thinking and which

strategies of persuasion are likely to be the most effective

• Employ specialized questions specifically designed to cognitively engage individuals

in crisis and increase the likelihood of resolution that either avoids force or minimizes

the amount necessary to obtain control

• Better ensure that officers’ approach and control strategies maximize their response options while minimizing the potential for unnecessary emotional and/or physical

escalation

• Balance the desirability of trying to resolve a conflict peacefully with the need to

maintain officer and public safety

• Apply principles of officer self-regulation and emotional control in order to maintain

rational thinking processes

• Recognize and list common barriers to effective communication that officers

commonly use unintentionally

• Discuss how professional de-escalation techniques embrace the concepts of ‘fair and

impartial’ and ‘rightful policing’ principles

• Integrate the content from this program to increase the breadth and effectiveness of

in-house de-escalation training programs

• Assist investigators and others reviewing uses of force to recognize the pivotal

situational and behavioral factors that must be considered when assessing whether

de-escalation efforts might have been feasible and potentially effective

• Help community members and the media better understand what realistic de-escalation

entails and the challenges that subjects may present that can inhibit, if not

prohibit, an officer’s ability to safely de-escalate.

• Be able to teach the concepts of the Azar-Dickens Police Assessment Matrix to

officers so they can determine if de-escalation strategies are appropriate and what

type of verbal and non-verbal tactics are most likely to succeed

• Be able to understand and teach the Butler 9-Tactical Questions Model approach to

assessing a situation to determine the most likely outcomes and enhance the

chances for successful resolution

Mobile In-Service Training Team#7 Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board

MTU 7 request for certification of this course has been approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board

Meets the following mandatory training criteria: TBA