Buffalo Police Are Now Receiving De-escalation Training
Around the country, the protests that occurred as a result of the George Floyd tragedy has resulted in change throughout the nation.
Buffalo was no exception to this. We saw a ton of changes to the way things operate here in the Queen City. Since last spring in Western New York, we've seen the creation of Black Lives Matter Way, the passage of Cariol's Law, and the repeal of section 50-A of the New York State Civil Rights Law. We've also seen the Buffalo Police Department take steps towards using less-lethal weapons like the bolawrap device and tasers.
In addition to this, according to a report by WKBW, Officers from the Buffalo Police are now receiving de-escalation training.
The I-CAT Training Program, which stands for Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics, is described as a cutting-edge training guide for helping law enforcement officers calm difficult situations and defuse potentially stressful interactions with the public.
There are situations our officers encounter on a street or at a larceny call or something that rapidly escalates and turns into an obvious mental health situation... We don’t have time to wait for a mental health councilor.
-Joseph Gramaglia, Deputy Chief of the Buffalo Police Department
This is a much-needed step for the Buffalo Police Department. There are many stories about rogue officers and bad cops escalating things well beyond what is needed to resolve situations. Learning new and better ways to handle stressful situations with the public will go along way to help restore trust between officers and people who pay their salaries.