Sergeant, Special Operations Unit Vermont State Police Wiliston, Vermont, United States
Recognizing the need to increase positive community-police interactions to enhance public safety and trust while corroborating officer retention and recruitment, the Vermont State Police developed a communications course with keystone principles of increasing empathy, patience, and officer roles in de-escalation. This program elevates officer access to intentional dialogue during vehicle stops and calls for service in furtherance of positive interactions and deterrence of future violations and offenses.
With a historical 93 percent course quality rating, officers report feeling reinvigorated via content and later application. This presentation provides a substantive program overview and highlights its effectiveness in de-escalation while increasing public trust in police and police operations.
