This course has been approved for 8 hours of law enforcement CLEST.

In a time when an increasing number of people seem prone to emotional eruption and resistant to demonstrate even the most basic levels of cooperation with law enforcement, an officer’s ability to successfully preempt escalation and when necessary, emotionally de-escalate an
intensifying situation is absolutely critical. This is a complex task requiring specialized training and a well-developed ability to understand human nature, identify and interpret the source of intense emotions and implement strategies that effectively allow officers to demonstrate unwavering
professionalism, even in the face of extreme provocation. This course will provide that. Based on scientifically-rooted, research-supported knowledge of psychology and human behavior, the core goal of this course is simple yet profound: to develop and strengthen officers’ abilities to mitigate the need for force by employing skilled communication strategies in combination with an acutely interpretative approach to effectively “reading” people and revealing their needs, sensitivities and motives. Once aware of that information, officers are dramatically better prepared to calm, deflect and defuse emotions that if poorly handled, can have explosive results. This course will help officers effectively “lower the temperature” of potentially incendiary encounters and better assist in avoiding legitimately avoidable uses of force. During this 8-hour course, we use current events and a wide array of the latest videos to bring reality into the course, students will quickly grasp the necessary concepts of interaction that will allow them to immediately utilize the skills taught in the class during their next street encounters.

Topics include but aren’t limited to:

• An explanation of why deescalation is not a phrase, word or tactic, but a goal
• Why developing a culture of intervention to thwart unprofessional behavior is crucial
• The emotional component of behavior
• The six “keys” for successful deescalation
• Cultural intervention strategies & expectations
• The interaction stages
• Human behavior truths
• Detecting deception
• Verbal & non-verbal cues
• The significance of treating people as having inherent worth
• Recognizing pre-assault indicators
• The constant focus on the professional goal

About the Instructor:

Lieutenant Kelly DeVoll is a 30-year veteran of law enforcement and began his career with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, in Beaumont, Texas in May 1989. Since entering law enforcement, Lt. DeVoll has served as a corrections officer, patrol officer, D.A.R.E. officer and supervisor, SWAT operator, forensic crime scene supervisor, patrol sergeant, school resource officer, and law enforcement trainer. Lt. DeVoll has been teaching law enforcement courses since 1992.