Westlake police to host area, out of state officers for de-escalation training

WESTLAKE, Ohio (WOIO) - The Westlake Police Department announced that, alongside the Ohio Tactical Officers Association, they will be hosting a two day force science realistic de-escalation instructor course this coming week.

WPD said that this Thursday and Friday they will welcome officers from several local and out of state police departments as they “come together to learn concepts and best practices for law enforcement professionals to use to accurately assess potentially violent confrontations and, when feasible, defuse them with applied tactics and avoid use-of-force crises.”

According to a release, the Westlake administration believes that their officers are among the best at professionally interacting with persons in the community including those who may be experiencing crisis.

They said they believe that this training will enhance their efforts to attempt to de-escalate situations before they become violent.

WPD said that these courses also help to review and effectively evaluate each use-of-force situation faced by their officers, and recognize where improvements may be made.

The course, according to a release, was awarded continuing education credits through the Ohio Attorney General’s Office Peace Officer Training Commission, and is also nationally accredited by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Training and Standards Association.

Copyright 2022 WOIO. All rights reserved.