About the Project
The National Policing Institute (NPI), in partnership with the Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR), is assisting the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and other Department of Justice (DOJ) partners in establishing a standards-based process and platform for the certification of de-escalation and related training curricula for law enforcement officers and covered mental health professionals as outlined by the bi-partisan Law Enforcement De-escalation Training Act of 2022 (LEDTA).
De-escalation training has consistently been identified by policymakers, community members, and subject matter experts as a valuable tool to enhance officers’ responses and reduce the use of force in their interactions. Research shows, however, that a wide variety of de-escalation training curricula exist, and they can vary considerably in their content, delivery methods, and duration. The current gap in consistent, comprehensive guidance around evidence-informed and best practices for de-escalation training highlights the value of a national, standards-based process for reviewing and approving training curricula for law enforcement officers and covered mental health professionals. The expert review and tracking of curricula that align with national standards for de-escalation training provides a critical resource for the law enforcement field, namely, identifying high-quality training that agencies may adopt to reduce officers’ use of force and enhance the safety of law enforcement responses for all.
Through this project, NPI and IIR have:
Developed national standards to guide the approval of de-escalation training curricula.
Developed a process for de-escalation training review and certification.
Launched LEDTAtraining.org as the primary platform for the submission, review, and approval of training curricula.
Released a public catalog of approved de-escalation training curricula.
Developed resources for the field to enhance access to evidence-informed and best practices guiding effective de-escalation and crisis response.
Use the navigation pane at the top of the page to access this content. You can access more information about this project and NPI’s ongoing work with the Department of Justice on the Law Enforcement De-escalation Training Act (LEDTA).
Resource Library
The Resource Library is intended to provide law enforcement leaders, rank and file officers, community members, and policymakers with evidence-informed and best practice resources on de-escalation and crisis response. Use this interactive library to search and filter resources by title and core topic area.
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