The Augusta University Police Department (AUPD) employees are dedicated members of the Augusta University (AU) community. Having strong connections and continued trust is key in keeping all AU campuses safe for our community. AUPD is dedicated to providing our employees progressive law enforcement training that in turn develops those who look to build strong community partnerships.
De-escalation is communication combined with proper physical tactics. It is the proper assessment and understanding of an incident and provides the optimal choices for persuasion. AUPD officers try to recognize the suffering of an individual and convey awareness, show compassion, listen and determine what the individual what they need or how the officer can help.
AUPD officers are trained in de-escalation techniques through department training and scenarios. Each year, officers complete training on a simulator to expose officers to scenarios where de-escalation techniques can be utilized. The goal of this training is to enhance an officer’s skills in establishing contact, building rapport, and gaining influence to achieve a resolution to an incident.
Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, POST Rule 464-5, requires all peace officers in the State of Georgia to receive annual training as required by O.C.G.A. 35-8-21 to include at a minimum two hours of community policing training, one hour of de-escalation training, and one hour of use of force training. AUPD officers receive a basic understanding of these topics in the police academy and through internal training provided by the police department. While this training is available online at www.GPSTC.org, in January, 2020, AUPD officers received in-service training on community policing, to include fair and impartial policing and de-escalation.
· Recognizing your own human biases and understanding how implicit biases can affect your perceptions and behavior towards others
· How biased policing is wrong and how it can negatively impact community members and the department
· How fair and impartial policing is just and supports procedural justice and thus police legitimacy
The training provides ways for officers to develop skills and tactics to reduce the influence of bias on police practice while allowing officers to be effective and just police professionals. Officers were directed to the following website to identify areas in which they may have implicit biases. Take a moment and see if you, too, have an implicit bias you can work to address:
During annual-use-of force training, officers participate in scenarios where they use their de-escalation skills, judgment and decision making skills to work through the training. Officers and instructors then de-brief the scenarios and discuss what was done well and what could have been done better.
Recognizing the daily interaction AUPD officers have with the AU community we require all new AUPD employees to take Fostering Positive Community Relations: For Campus Law Enforcement via an on-line training platform provided by the Board of Regents Police Department.
Officers receive a basic understanding of mental illness in the police academy. On a university campus, being able to recognize students in need of mental health intervention and readily provide resources to anyone who needs information is a priority. All new AUPD employees must take Understanding Student Mental Health via an online training platform provided by the Board of Regents Police Department.
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training is a 40-hour class for peace officers that provides in-depth training on mental health topics, inclusive of role-play scenarios, which provides training that combines lectures and hands-on learning. The Georgia Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training for 9-1-1 Telecommunicators is an interactive online learning course that is designed to present telecommunicators with advanced training in handling crisis calls involving consumers with mental illnesses, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and/or who are suicidal.
Patrol Officers with CIT Training
Communication Service Officers with CIT Training
Goal for CIT Training by December 2021
