SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah, Jan. 5, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — South Salt Lake City’s police chief has announced de-escalation training for his force.
“Recent high-profile use-of-force cases have encouraged law enforcement nationwide, including the South Salt Lake Police Department, to review their practices and policies around around police response to reduce incidents of force and mitigate violent confrontations,” Chief Jack Carruth says.
To that end, Carruth said in a press release, this month all his officers will partake of a program called ABLE, for Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement.. He described ABLE as an evidence-based program built upon decades of research and on-the-ground experience used successfully in police agencies around the country.
The training provides officers with practical strategies and tactics to prevent misconduct, reduce officer mistakes and promote health and wellness, Carruth said.
“De-escalation is often mischaracterized as being weak on crime, backing down, giving up, or being detrimental to officer safety,” the chief wrote.
“But when done effectively, de-escalation helps those in crisis regain control so that officers can more easily manage a situation. It’s an essential tool for minimizing harm while keeping our community safe. Training and communication are vital to helping our officers respond successfully to these situations.”
Ideally, Carruth said, police want every interaction with the community to result in voluntary compliance. “When that does not happen, we want to de-escalate the situation as quickly as possible while using the least amount of force needed to ensure everyone’s safety.”
