At the Thursday, May 15 meeting of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, the board plans to approve a $256,288 contract with the purpose of providing de-escalation training to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office.
For the sheriff’s deputies, the training will be conducted by Crisis Consulting Group – a provider that’s approved by the US Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program.
This two-year initiative will include live, in-person instruction for all sworn deputies as well as for the detention officers in the county’s jails in Greensboro and High Point.
As part of the new program, ten officers will complete what are called “Train the Trainer” courses, which will allow the Sheriff’s Office to continue the training for new hires and offer refresher courses to current staff in coming years.
No county money will be used to fund the training; it will be paid for entirely by a federal grant from the Justice Department.
A key focus of the training will be on alternatives to the use of force, crisis response and tactics for safely handling people who are experiencing mental health or behavioral crises or are particularly emotional during an encounter.
A certified Master Level Instructor with front-line law enforcement experience will lead the Sheriff’s Office’s training sessions, which will cover both beginner and advanced levels.
The de-escalation program is funded through a COPS grant that was accepted by the Guilford County Board of Commissioners in December 2024.
The contract with Crisis Consulting Group will run from May 2025 through September 30, 2026.
Starting on Thursday, May 15, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office will begin the comprehensive new training program with the Virginia-based company that will show officers in the field and in the jails how to create safer and more effective outcomes during high-stress encounters.
This initiative is part of a broader national effort supported by the US Department of Justice’s 2024 “Safer Outcomes” grant – which funds de-escalation and crisis response training for law enforcement agencies across the country.
At the heart of the program are specially designed on-location de-escalation training sessions conducted at least ten times over the two-year time period. Each session will accommodate about 50 participants and include both beginner and advanced training sections.
The “Train-the-Trainer” component is an intensive two-and-a-half-day course meant to equip these people to lead future training sessions, helping the Sheriff’s Office sustain the program once the contract period runs out.
The in-house trainers will be certified for one year – with a follow-up four-hour virtual recertification course scheduled to take place the following year to maintain their instructor credentials.
Topics will include things like de-escalating verbal and non-verbal communication strategies, stress management, situational awareness and legal considerations.
Guilford County has the right to terminate the contract – either with or without cause.
County officials say the program reflects a growing emphasis on mental health awareness and responsible policing in the community as well as a desire to bring about practices that are safer for both officers and the public.
Participants will learn practical techniques on how to slow down confrontations, communicate effectively and avoid the use of force when possible. The ultimate goal of the program is to reduce the number of Guilford County Sheriff’s Office incidents that result in physical confrontation or injury to anyone.
This initiative reflects a broader national trend toward addressing mental health challenges within the criminal justice system through training, prevention and a wider use of services provided by community-based organizations.
I’m surprised that this isn’t already part of an officer’s training and recertification. Knowing how to handle emotionally charged incidents is safer for everyone.
How much more does law enforcement need to de-escalate; they are killing each other in the streets. Just more waste of money.
Not county dollars , but federal dollars. It all comes out of your pocket. Only time will tell if the soft touch works.
Sounds like some of WOKE crap to me.
So you prefer cops continue to escalate minor incidents (such as selling individual cigarettes on the street) up to point they have to wrestle, beat, or kill people? Over something that was minor to begin with? Keep in mind that many people that struggle with this type of engagement are mentally ill or even vets who suffer from PTSD.
End of the day it is a good tool for officers to have in ‘bag’ not just for the criminal’s safety but for their own as well.
Chris. Let’s look at the George Floyd case. He was a career criminal, long rap sheet. passed fake money store clerk caught it he ran clerk calls 911 Floyd is caught on the street fights with the officer resists arrest In the minutes afterwards Floyd unfortunately dies what do you say was the root cause of the outcome
That case is perfect example as he had mental issues and deescalating would have been far better outcome than killing him. Killing someone for using fake currency is not acceptable.
I wouldn’t frame what he did as fighting as much as he displayed very high anxiety about be cuffed in the back of a police car and the police used escalating force to force him into the car and ended up killing him as a result. Not a good outcome.
Chris. He was killed on the sidewalk not in the back of a Police car. It was a tragic ending for sure. Had he simply complied with the officers commands initially we most likely would not be having this conversation and I’ve never read anything about him having mental health issues. That particular issue seems to always come up after the fact sort of like people “finding “ Jesus after they go to jail
Right. They were going to put him in the back of the police car and he resisted saying he was claustrophobic. So, police escalated with force until they killed him.
Funny how with this black man you receive the ‘he should have complied’ line but with Jan 6th Babbit woman you get the ‘she was unarmed victim’. So which do you believe?
But to be fair, but both Babbit and Floyd they suffered from a long history of mental illness. Which again makes for the argument that training in de-escalation makes sense for all police forces.
Neither one had a diagnosis of mental illness, and Babbit was shot through a glass door presenting a threat to no on, but hey, she was one of ‘them’ and needed to be an example.
Between 1997 and 2005, George Floyd was convicted of eight crimes involving drug possession, theft, and trespass, resulting in multiple jail terms. It is estimated that he was stopped by police more than 20 times throughout his life. This figure would include instances that did not necessarily lead to arrest or conviction, such as a 2019 detention where no charges were filed. He was also known to struggle and fight officers. That is only the encounters on record; no doubt, there are more.
I have noted over time that people, like Ol’ George, who have repeated negative encounters with law enforcement are, in fact, just spinning the wheel of risk. The more negative encounters you have with police officers, who themselves are jacked up on adrenaline, the higher the risk becomes that something bad will happen. Ol’ George was addicted to drugs and risk, making many, many poor decisions. He would spin that wheel many times and eventually…the math caught up with him. Perhaps we would be better off ensuring that criminals have a quick lesson in math and a risk assessment lesson.
None of those crimes warranted killing him. Killing an unarmed petty criminal is math that never works. Better trained police would have handled much better.
Maybe all the “petty” criminals can come to your sanctuary farm, hang out with you and your “petty” ILLEGALS around a bonfire and sing Kumbaya as the sun goes down
What is it about liberals that makes them think petty crimes are not a big deal. You don’t seem to acknowledge the cost and pain inflicted upon the victims
Math does not take sides…..but it does sometimes predict the future.
Mongo, you are correct. In this case, we can change the formula with a very small investment in training.
Chris where do you get the mental illness crap. That has never been reported for either of them. Floyd wasn’t claustrophobic, that’s like finding Jesus after going to prison, he was trying whatever he could to not go to jail that day. He was a CAREER CRIMINAL. Ashley Babbit was NOT Funny thing about Floyd he rode in a CAR to the curb market with a friend that day. Explain how he was claustrophobic
I may be thinking of one of the many other examples of police escalating minor crimes into killing a person over a petty crime. There are so many, it is hard to keep straight.
But Babbit was warned to stop as the crawled through the window of a barricaded door yet conservatives consider her a victim, but not all the black people killed by police? Hmmmmm I wonder why?
This is our money. Wouldn’t we be better served with more officers on the street?
Very informative article. Guilford county is intent on taking more of our hard earned money. I read where the de-escalation training is funded by a federal grant.
Somehow guilford will use this as an excuse for more taxes.
It’s the public that needs de-escalation, diversity, sensitivity training NOT law enforcement!
So sick of blaming law enforcement for idiots in society who either weren’t raised properly or who are just plain a$$holes.
Greene You are exactly right. Some members of society refuse to be law abiding citizens and when they get caught by law enforcement they want to resist authority. This is what really leads to the problem and causes more trouble. These are the people who need to be “trained” by the courts to better citizens.
Sounds like Babbit the Jan 6th hero should have had the same training. Or does this rule only apply if you are black?
Chris no one said Ashley Babbit was a hero but she did not have a history of mental illness as you have stated. She was an UNARMED WHITE woman in the people’s house. The person who shot her gave her no direct commands. She was MURDERED in cold blood.
$5 Trillion won’t improve morale, fill vacancies or give you a better department. Only an election will. Even after that it will take multiple years to undo the damage of the last 7.
“No county money will be used to fund the training; it will be paid for entirely by a federal grant from the Justice Department.”
(Hand raised in the back of the room) Where is the federal grant money coming from? Chris would say the federal government with a few insults thrown in. FEDERAL GRANT MONEY COMES FROM US, THE FEDERAL TAX PAYING HARD WORKING CITIZENS!!!
Nice try Commissars propaganda wing……..next
I love that I am in your thoughts all the time. But what I would say would be very different. I say that unlike conservatives who see no value in things that don’t directly benefit them personally, I think this is money well spent as it will benefit many of those that have high stress when engaged by police such as the mentally ill, vets with PTSD, or minorities who have had past run in with ‘bad apples’. Given that my share of the cost of this program is a very small fraction of 1 cent. Well done. That’s would I say.
So please don’t speak for me. But I do get tickled that I am in your thoughts every time you read an article here on the Rhino Times.
Wow Chris you’re one to tell someone not to put words in your mouth. You do it all the time to people on here. Especially Austin and Alan. Maybe you need to go to the Memorial Gardens or the Field of Honor in Lexington this weekend, take a knee, say a prayer for the fallen ones that gave their service and life that allows you the freedom you enjoy then ask forgiveness for your arrogance
As a reminder on crime in our area. The recent County Health report showed homicides increasing over 40% from 9.5 homicides / 100,000 residents to 13.5 homicides/100,000 residents over the past few years. 2023 had record homicides in Greensboro which also was the highest increase of all cities in NC from 2022 to 2023. During this time period, the Guilford County jail actually saw a decrease in prison population from over 1,000 to around 690. Guilford County Democrat control has a DA and Sheriff along with elected area judges who are soft on crime and the public suffers as a result. Unafilliated voters and registered Democrats need to see what is going on around them and stop voting these people in just because they have a D beside their name on the ballot. Wake up to protect your families and friends from going to the morgue!!
We need more offices on streets not less. Our county continues to deteriorate
What we got here is……failure to communicate.
And what happened to Luke when there was a failure to communicate