38: Inmate De-escalation and Communication
Episode description
Since the beginning of law enforcement and corrections, officers have had to verbally try and change the actions of others to prevent force from being used to control the situation. There have always been those who could communicate in this manner well. Those officers were able to get their point across without resorting to force. Some were able to do it by helping the person work through the logical reasons they should or shouldn’t continue their actions or behavior. Other officers had that glint in their eye that struck fear in the mind of others and alluded to the unpleasant possibilities of what could happen if they stayed their course. I think I was able to use a little of both.
But when the outcome is force of any kind, there has also always been a side that believes the fault lies with the officer for not giving them a chance, for not talking them out of it, for not shooting them in the foot instead of the chest when they attacked you. They do not believe in force for any reason.
Like everything else in life, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Not every incident needs to be met with force nor can every incident be solved through verbal communication alone.
I do believe that every incident can be improved with de-escalation.
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